Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are problematic for a number of reasons, including disruption of ecosystems, economic impacts to tourism or fishing, and the potentially high costs of eradication. As a result, preventing the spread of AIS is the best management option. Recreational boaters may visit multiple bodies of water in a single season. Without careful cleaning, these boats may carry AIS from one body of water to another. Furthermore, no regulations exist to prevent AIS spread from recreational boating, and previous research has found that the public is not concerned about AIS unless these species pose a threat. This study looked at whether an educational program might help stem AIS spread through measuring boaters' knowledge, attitudes, and potential support for options to manage AIS.
The study took place in upstate New York in the Finger Lakes Region. Specifically, the researchers chose two lakes in this region, Canandaigua Lake and Conesus Lake, both of which are used for fishing and recreational boating. A program from a local nonprofit, the Finger Lakes Institute, had placed stewards at Canandaigua Lake boat launches the previous summer. For those who agreed to participate, the stewards inspected boats, identified and removed invasive species, told boaters about those species, and gave boaters educational materials. No stewards were placed at Conesus Lake. The subsequent summer, researchers surveyed 200 boaters at each lake (for a total of 400 survey responses); respondents were identified by approaching anyone using a boat launch over 18 years old. The survey responses were analyzed statistically.
Most participant boaters were male (65%), aged 40-59 (48%), and repeat visitors to the lake (87%). Over two-thirds of participants (71%) had heard something on TV, from others, or online about AIS in the past year. When asked whether they considered AIS to be a threat, over half agreed, though the perceived seriousness of that threat ranged; peculiarly, an even higher number of participants felt some urgency to control AIS. Boaters wanted to help prevent the spread of AIS for two primary reasons: to maintain general environmental health (36%) and quality fishing (33%). The study found that participants were generally amenable to doing something to help control AIS: most reported inspecting their own boats for plants or animals upon exiting the water, and respondents favored transport laws that reduce movement of AIS from one body of water to another.
When looking at the differences between the two lakes, researchers found that there were more male angler respondents from Conesus Lake, and that otherwise the respondents were demographically similar. Boaters from Conesus Lake—which did not have stewards the previous summer—reported slightly higher concern for and frequency of checking their boats for AIS. The researchers speculate two reasons for this difference. One is that too much time had gone by since the educational program at Canandaigua Lake, and anyone who had received information had likely forgotten. The other potential reason is the makeup of the users of the lake: Conesus Lake's active angler community may have driven these respondents to actively seek out and share information on AIS.
This study represents a small geographic area: just users of two lakes in a specific region. More research is needed to better understand what role education may play in encouraging recreational boaters to take or support steps to reduce the spread of AIS. In addition, although many users of Canandaigua Lake had been there previously, the study did not capture whether these individuals had received information from a steward the previous summer. Furthermore, the findings of the study are somewhat muddied due to an inability to control participants from receiving information from other sources.
The authors recommend ongoing education of boaters, specifically developing targeted materials and working with regional partners. Even if boaters did not receive information from stewards, the authors felt that their presence helped raise awareness of AIS.
The Bottom Line
<p>Recreational boaters may be contributing to the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS), which is problematic because AIS can negatively impact the water quality and economic viability of a body of a water. This study looked at what role education might play in preventing the spread of AIS and potential support for a variety of management options. To do so, the authors surveyed boaters at two lakes in upstate New York; one of the lakes had participated in a program that placed educational stewards at boat launches the previous summer, and the other lake had not participated in the program. The study found that respondents from both lakes were urgently concerned about AIS and favored regulations to reduce AIS spread. The respondents at the lake that did not participate in the stewardship program reported slightly higher concern for AIS and more frequently checked their boats for these species. The reason for these differences may be because the angler community at this lake was inherently more interested in AIS and too much time had gone by since the educational program. The authors recommend ongoing, targeted education of recreational boaters as part of a broader effort to control AIS.</p>
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