Marine Protected Area (MPA) recreational Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice (KAP) surveys are a research approach to elicit basic quantitative information about marine recreational users’ Knowledge about, Attitudes Towards and Practices within MPAs.
KAP surveys have been widely used in a range of disciplines including research in health (Delobelle et al. 2009), education (Esa 2010) and sustainability (Salas-Zapata et al. 2018) to provide a rapid understanding of a topic. In an MPA context, KAP surveys allow managers to assess MPA performance relative to social objectives and offer guidance for MPA planning, monitoring and management (Charles & Wilson 2008). For example, collecting MPA recreational user data on awareness, support, and compliance with zoning can complement consultation programs during MPA planning, and enables customisation of communication strategies, educational initiatives, and compliance management efforts (Sutton & Tobin 2009, Voyer et al. 2012, Kotowicz et al. 2017). Additionally, recreational user practice data provides information on spatial distributions of use and catch, facilitating ecological monitoring, targeted education and enforcement in high use areas (Pomeroy et al. 2005, Navarro et al. 2020). This data can also be used to estimate the value of recreation connected to an MPA (non-market use value) and predict the impact to recreation associated with zoning arrangements (i.e., the cost experienced by displaced recreators) (Raguragavan et al. 2013, Gao & Hailu 2018, Navarro et al. 2022). The data outputs and management implications of MPA recreational users’ KAP surveys closely align with a national Adaptive Management Plan from Parks Australia (who manage the Australian Marine Parks located in Commonwealth waters), specifically for their management programs to, “improve awareness, understanding and support for marine parks” and “provide for and promote a range of environmentally appropriate, high quality recreation and tourism experiences and contribute to Australia’s visitor economy” (Director of National Parks 2018). The merits of MPA recreational users’ KAP surveys have led to their incorporation into socio-economic research and monitoring within Australia, (Haensch et al. 2020, Navarro et al. 2021) and internationally (Leeworthy 2013, Thomas et al. 2015).