Investigating Scuba Divers’ Attitudes to

Sustainable Shipwreck Diving in North

Carolina

JP Duncan

Statement of the problem

Shipwrecks are easily damaged, non-renewable heritage sites

Why should we care about the preservation of shipwrecks?

Shipwrecks are easily damaged and non-renewable heritage sites with a certain “carrying capacity” Heritage Australia (2013)

Scuba diving on shipwrecks has become a major component of global tourism that is significant to local economies Edney (2012)

Literature review: What do we know about “sustainable practices” of shipwreck divers?

Cultural Resource Management McKercher and du Cros (2002)

UNESCO (2007)

Diver Impacts on Shipwrecks Muckelroy (1978)

Stone (1996)

McCarthy (2000)

Edney (2006)

Normative Theory Jackson (1966)

Loomis et al. (2008)

Vaske et al. (2010)

Research Question

What are the attitudes of people scuba diving in the state of North Carolina (scuba divers being defined as people utilizing dive charters in the state of North Carolina) to human activities affecting the sustainability of submerged maritime archaeological sites?

Research Objectives

The goal of this project is to determine how NC scuba divers define sustainable practices in shipwreck diving.

The project has 2 specific objectives:

1. Determine how NC scuba divers define “sustainable practices” in relation to shipwreck diving

2. Define the role of geographical origin, gender, and other demographic variables in determining diver attitudes to sustainable practices in shipwreck diving

Methodology

Site selection Data collection Data analysis

Site Selection

Groups internal or connected to East Carolina University

NC Dive shops fromhttp://nc-wreckdiving.com/shops.html

Dive Shop

Black Jack Tech Diving 11815A US 15-501 Aberdeen 1-910-426-3483

DOD Scuba 45B West Depot Street Angier 1-919-255-0552

Bermuda Triangle2144 Hendersonville, Suite #E Arden 1-828-252-8707

Skyland Snorkel & Scuba 2134 Hendersonville Arden 1-828-687-7710

Sandhill Scuba Inc. 1307 N. Fayetteville St Asheboro1-336-626-2776 shop/1-910-974-3965 res.

Asheville Scuba & Snorkel - Asheville 1-828-252-8707Atlantic Beach Diving

Atlantic Beach Causeway

Atlantic Beach 1-757-617-2208/1-443-255-3775

Diver Downc/o Captain Bobby Cox

Atlantic Beach 1-252-240-2043

Divocean Dive Center212 Atlantic Beach Causeway

Atlantic Beach 1-(252)726-3575

Seahorse Chartersc/o Capt. Greg Brownell

Atlantic Beach 1-252-617-2641

Atlantis Charters145 Intracoastal Waterway Beaufort 1-252-728-6244/1-252-723-7577

Discovery Diving Company 414 Orange Street Beaufort 1-252-728-2265

Data Collection

Collect email addresses

Send initial emails with a survey link

Send a reminder email after one week

Send a final email after two weeks

Data Analysis

Divers will be examined by their responses Embarrassment levels

Feelings of obligation

Create a graphical representation of the data Mean Acceptance Rating and Potential for Conflict Index2

Work Plan

Timeline Data collection

May and June

Analysis July

Written Report August

ConclusionAssessing NC shipwreck divers’ attitudes will lead to:

An understanding of the diver’s opinion of sustainable actions

Findings from this study are expected to make a contribution to understanding how to better mitigate anthropogenic impacts on shipwrecks

Recommendations of what shipwreck site managers can do to incorporate more sustainable actions by divers