Beyond the sign: Influencing recreational boaters required behaviors

Project summary:

The purpose of this project is to develop, test, and compare novel educational messaging to increase intentions to perform preventive behaviors among anglers who use boats to fish. Minnesota waterways remain at high risk from aquatic invasive species (AIS), despite well-intended and widespread efforts to influence preventive behaviors. A priority AIS pathway is recreational boaters, particularly anglers. Existing and limited data reveal violation rates among boaters vary: they comply with some but not all required preventive behaviors. To better understand these choices, increase behavior intentions, and ultimately protect waterways, researchers will:

1. Systematically observe and compare preventative behavior at select public landings among anglers who use boats to fish.

2. Conduct focus groups to understand behaviors observed.

3. Develop and test novel preventative behavioral messaging among anglers who use boats to fish; specifically researchers will compare typical photo/text messaging with augmented reality messaging to see if and how intentions to perform preventive messages vary.

Based on the team's findings, researchers will create a "best practices" resource to guide educational organizations, resource managers, and scientists as well as work with existing professional and community-based AIS networks (i.e. lake associations, AIS Detectors volunteers) in Minnesota and beyond.