Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design

Department

Recreation, Parks and Tourism Resources

Committee Chair

Robert C. Burns

Committee Member

Ross Andrew

Committee Member

Jasmine Moreira Cardozo

Abstract

By understanding the demographics of those participating in outdoor recreation, and identifying who is using these resources, managers can effectively create opportunities for underrepresented communities. Previous research had underscored the innumerous benefits related to coastal outdoor recreation activities, from human well-being to local socio-economic benefits. This study is divided into two papers that both took place in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The purpose of the first paper was to investigate the constraints that minority groups related to gender, race and ethnicity groups face prior participation in coastal activities, along with negotiation strategies that are employed in order to overcome these obstacles. The results of the first paper suggested that Non-White participants were more constrained than White participants. Items related to lack of transportation, lack of information were significantly higher among Non-White participants, along with feeling more constrained by cultural reasons. Another significant finding was that younger participants feel more constrained to participate in coastal outdoor recreation activities due to prefer spending their time doing electronic activities. Moreover, the results of the use of negotiation strategies were significantly greater among Non-White participants by arranging rides with friends and recreating with people that share the same ethnic and cultural values.

The second paper had the purpose of how socio-demographics of visitors differ from locals in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and surroundings. The second paper utilized a data set from a previous research NMS-Count developed By Burns et al., (2020) in comparison to the Census Bureau data of Monroe and Miami-Dade County in the state of Florida. The overall results from the second paper provide disparities among visitors to locals in socioeconomic aspects, educational and racial/ethnic minorities. The results of this study provide a valuable contribution to the management of public coastal lands within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, offering insights into the nature of differences in socioeconomic aspects between locals and visitors.

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