Visitors’ support of ocean protection in a low-use marine protected area: Gray’s reef national marine sanctuary

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important tools for conserving biodiversity and supporting healthy ocean ecosystems and economies. However, the effectiveness of MPAs is dependent upon the support of those who use and are affected by them. Understanding how recreational users relate to protected areas can provide key insights into long-term support for conservation initiatives. This study focused on a low-use MPA in the Atlantic Ocean, 20 miles offshore from Savannah, Georgia, USA. The study used an online survey of recreational users, primarily anglers, to understand human nature interactions and perceptions of support for environmental protection in the MPA and surrounding coastal settings. Understanding these perceptions is important to the success of environmental protection and helps to parse out willingness to act to ensure a sustainable use of ocean resources. The results of a series of regression models highlight the complexity of human behavior, showing that support for protection and willingness to act were influenced by broader attitudes, such as environmental concern, in combination with coastal or non-coastal residency. These findings indicate the need for managers to consider and address both the broader public and the local communities affected by potential restrictions associated with a given area's protection status.