Whitaker Ideas Forum – Willingness to pay for marine ecosystem services: The Blue Planet II effect.

In this seminar the results of a nationwide online survey carried out in Scotland will be presented. Respondents were asked about their knowledge of the deep-sea environment and their willingness to pay to conserve the Mingulay cold water reef complex. The discrete choice experiment (DCE) approach was employed in the surveys to capture the multi-dimensional nature of the ecosystem and to analyse how respondents make trade-offs between blue growth potential and ecosystem service delivery. Using entropy balancing, a multivariate reweighting method to produce balanced samples in observational studies, we also test the impact that having watched the BBC Blue Planet II documentary series may have had on individuals’ willingness to support marine conservation activity. Results from the survey indicate a higher willingness to pay for management options associated with the highest possible levels of marine litter control followed by the highest possible levels of fish health. Respondents also express a preference for management options that allow for higher levels of blue growth opportunities. Whether or not respondents had seen the BBC Blue Planet II series was also found to have a significant impact on people’s preferences and their willingness to pay to support marine conservation efforts at the reef.

This is one of a series of seminars in the Whitaker Ideas Forum. Stephen will be representing SEMRU.

The Whitaker Ideas Forum is a weekly seminar, running Wednesday’s throughout the semester from 1:00pm-2:00pm in CA110. It provides the opportunity for members of the Institute to showcase their research. The result are presentations that highlight the diversity of the research being undertaken, while allowing for an opportunity to engage in discussions and, sometimes, collaboration with attendees. Below, you will find a list of this semester’s seminars, please click the title for more information on that seminar.