Identifying the Importance of Cultural Ecosystem Services Provided by Gibraltar's Marine Environment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Fig1. Importance of CES for well-being Identifying the importance • Multiple CES benefits are important of cultural ecosystem Health to human wellbeing such as place Heritage Discovery Spirituality Happiness Inspiration Knowledge Consuming Tranquillity services provided by Experiential Sentimental Social Bonds Social Sense of Senseof place Ease of Access of Ease Well Well maintained Personal Identity Personal Aesthetic Experience Aesthetic Gibraltar’s marine Wildlife Appreciation identity, enjoyment provided by Eastern Beach Sandy Bay environment Catalan Bay wildlife and tranquility. Western Beach Luisa Haasova1, Camp Bay Queensway M. 2 Emma McKinley , and Ocean Village Awantha Dissanayake1 Small Boat M. Little bay • Beaches are the most favored Seven sisters 1School of Marine Science, University of Gibraltar. Rosia Bay 2School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University Gorhams Caves Europa Point INTRODUCTION environmental spaces. Fishing Clubs Reefs The importance of CES for human wellbeing is Wrecks being increasingly recognised1. This study BGTW frames: Everything > I. Interactions with CES • Cultural practices in Gibraltar are No. of respondents 1 to 2 3 to 5 6 to 8 9 II. What CES means for users of marine/ coastal environment dominated by physical and Fig 2. Cultural practices in Gibraltar 90.00% METHODS 80.00% 70.00% Data have been collected using an anonymous 60.00% experiential use. 50.00% online questionnaire targeting users of 40.00% 30.00% marine/coastal CES in Gibraltar. 20.00% 10.00% RESULTS Use of 0.00% • Cultural practices were dominated by environmental physical and experiential use such as spaces general beach use and spending time at/by the beach (> 75%) (Figs. 1&2) • Popular cultural practices such as beach activities are undertaken several times a REFERENCES week by more than half of the responders 1 Bell, S. L., Phoenix, C. and Lovell, R. (2015). Seeking everyday from May until September with the peak wellbeing: the coast as a therapeutic landscape. Social Science during August (>85%). & Medicine, (142), pp. 56–67. Human well- 2 Ewert, A., Place, G. and Sibthorp, J. (2005). ‘Early-Life Outdoor Policymaking DISCUSSION being Experiences and an Individual’s Environmental Attitudes’, Understanding of the relationship between Leisure Sciences, 27(3), pp. 225–239. society and CES is important and can aid policy making as these interactions can influence the attitudes and values held for nature2..