Post-Pandemic Shifts in Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors in a Marine Protected Area

Mar Vila () and Gerard Costa
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Mar Vila: Economics, Finance and Accounting Department & Research Group on Tourism Management, GRUGET, Ramon Llull University, Esade, 08172 Sant Cugat, Spain
Gerard Costa: Marketing Management Department & Research Group on Tourism Management, GRUGET, Ramon Llull University, Esade, 08172 Sant Cugat, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 17, 1-14

Abstract: Interest in understanding environmental attitudes and behaviors after traumatic events has been widely studied, but research specific to the COVID-19 pandemic has yielded inconclusive results. This study addresses a gap by exploring the relationship between COVID-19 and pro-environmental behavior (PEB) in marine protected areas (MPAs), which are vital for preserving marine ecosystems and biodiversity. We focus on scuba divers’ environmental attitudes and behaviors within an MPA, using a mixed methodology that combines surveys based on the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale with covert participant observation. Our findings indicate a moderate increase in pro-environmental concerns post-pandemic, particularly regarding nature’s fragility. However, a gap remains between expressed attitudes and actual behaviors, with notable differences in pro-ecological behavior during leisure activities compared to behavior at home. Additionally, risk perception related to COVID-19 has gained prominence, often overshadowing environmental concerns. This study contributes to a better understanding of environmental attitudes and behaviors in the context of MPAs during the ongoing social changes post-COVID-19. These insights can guide more sustainable management of MPAs and inform future research, which should further explore these trends in similar contexts.

Keywords: pro-environmental behavior; sustainable development; new ecological paradigm; pro-ecological attitudes; ethnography; marine protected area (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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