The effect of dolphin observation programmes in the Cres-Lošinj archipelago on encouraging pro-environmental behavior

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Učinak programa promatranja dupina u lošinjskom akvatoriju na poticanje okolišno odgovornog ponašanja
• Author: Kora Dvorski
• Mentor: Peter Mackelworth (mentor)
• Mentor: Sunčica Bosak (mentor)
• Committee member: Sunčica Bosak (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ana Galov (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Petar Kružić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Zrinka Ljubešić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Biology); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2019-07-04, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Biology

Abstract

Program promatranja dupina u lošinjskom akvatoriju se provodi u svrhu poticanja zaštite dobrog dupina (Tursiops truncatus, Montagu 1821) u Jadranskom moru. Cilj programa je kroz okolišnu edukaciju sudionicima približiti tematiku ugroženosti i zaštite dupina te ih potaknuti na okolišno odgovorno ponašanje kojim bi doprinijeli zaštiti dupina. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati učinak dva tipa programa na sudionike. Korištena metodologija uključivala je ispunjavanje anketnih upitnika, a ispitanici su bili sudionici dvaju programa različitih po trajanju i razini uključenosti. U trosatni program promatranja dupina bili su uključeni sudionici 'promatrači', dok su u desetodnevni program istraživanja dupina bili uključeni 'aktivni sudionici'. Kroz upitnike smo istražili motivacije obje skupine sudionika te utjecaj programa na njihove okolišne stavove i okolišno odgovorno ponašanje. Pretpostavili smo da će utjecaj biti jači na aktivne sudionike jer su kroz program bili duže i aktivnije uključeni u tematiku zaštite dupina nego promatrači. Rezultati 206 upitnika promatrača i 71 upitnika aktivnih sudionika su pokazali da se motivacije dvaju skupina razlikuju po tome što je aktivnim sudionicima bilo važnije doprinijeti zaštiti dupina nego promatračima. Dokazan je pozitivan utjecaj programa na stavove i okolišno odgovorno ponašanje obje skupine te se, suprotno očekivanom, pokazalo da je utjecaj na obje skupine podjednak.

Abstract (english)

The dolphin observation programmes in the Cres-Lošinj archipelago are conducted in order to contribute to the conservation of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus, Montagu 1821) in the Adriatic Sea. The aim of the programmes is to raise environmental awareness of the participants through environmental interpretation and encourage them to adopt pro-environmental behaviors that support dolphin conservation. The main methodology was the questionnaire survey, conducted on the participants from two programmes that differed in duration and level of engagement. In the first programme, the participants were dolphin ‘watchers’ for three hours, and in the second one they were ‘doers’, actively engaged in dolphin research for ten days. Through questionnaires, we explored the motivations of both groups and the effect of the programmes on their pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. We expected doers to experience a greater change in pro-environmental attitudes and behavior, as they were more engaged in the programme than watchers. The results of 206 watchers’ and 71 doers’ questionnaires showed that doers were more motivated to contribute to dolphin conservation than watchers. A positive effect on pro-environmental attitudes and behavior was found in both groups and, contrary to the expected, it was not significantly different between watchers and doers.

• Keywords: Tursiops truncatus; anketni upitnici; promatrači; aktivni sudionici; okolišna edukacija; zaštita okoliša
• Keywords (english): Tursiops truncatus; questionnaires; watchers; doers; environmental interpretation; environmental conservation
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:100371
• Study programme: Title: Ecology; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra ekologije i zaštite prirode (magistar/magistra ekologije i zaštite prirode)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2019-10-09 11:20:13