TABLE OF CONTENTS



ACKNOW LEDGM ENTS ................................................ ii


LIST OF TABLES ................

LIST OF FIGURES ................


. . . . . .. . . v
. . . . . . . . . .. v ii


ABSTRACT ............................. ....... ....................

INTRODUCTION ..................................................

 M anatee W atch Education Program ...................................
 R ole of E experience ................................................
 R research O objectives ...............................................


M ETHODS .......................

 Questionnaire Design and Pilot Testing
 Data Analysis ...................


.................................... 6


RESU LTS .................... ............................... ..... 10

 Survey Response ................ .................... ............ 10
 Socio-Demographic Background ........................................ 11
 Boating Activity .................................................... 12
 Boating Behavior ................ ................................ 13
 Knowledge About Manatees and Their Conservation. ...................... 15
 Attitudes about Manatees and their Conservation ........................... 17
 Other Attitude Measures .......................................... 22
 Additional Analysis of Treatment Group Boaters. ............ .............. 23
 Path Analysis ........ ...... ........................... .......... 25


D ISCU SSIO N ................................

 Effectiveness of the Educational Treatment .......
 Manatee Watch Intervention ..................


Association of Experience with Manatees with Knowledge and
 Behavioral Intentions ..............................
Recom m endations ..................................
Conclusion ....................................


. . . . . . 3 0

. . . 3 0


Attitudes and

 . .


.... 34
.... 35
.... 39