MASTS: Monitoring the Attitudes of Society Towards our Seas

In order to raise awareness of the importance of healthy oceans, seas and coastal waters amongst a population and help develop solutions on a range of marine related issues it is important to understand that population’s attitudes towards these resources and how they might be utilised. Despite the significant area of ocean that Ireland has jurisdiction over, research into the attitudes of the Irish public towards the seas and oceans around the Irish coast has been limited. In addition, no effort has been made to monitor, in a systematic manner, how those attitudes and held values have changed in line with the substantial marine policies changes that have occurred in recent times. Thus, this project aims to both create and enact a framework through which attitudes and values towards seas and oceans can be systematically monitored over time. 

Project Start Date: May 2024 

Project Duration: 4 years

Funded by: Marine Institute (MI) 

Funded Amount: €399,841

The overarching objective of this project is to establish a framework for tracking the general public’s attitudes, perceptions, interactions and values linked to Ireland’s coastal and marine spaces, their impact on health and wellbeing and the social benefits they provide. To achieve this objective a review will be carried out of previous survey frameworks and marine social attitude surveys that have been implemented both in Ireland and abroad. Following this an appropriate survey instrument will be designed and administered to a representative sample of the general public. A second nationally representative survey with overlapping questions will also be carried out later in the project to examine changes over time. The survey instrument will also be administered to a coastal community to investigate if such a group, who have greater exposure to the marine environment, hold attitudes and values linked to Ireland’s coastal and marine spaces and the social benefits they provide, that differ from the national average. The results will assist in the development of marine policy mechanisms aimed at transitioning to a more sustainable marine environment and ocean economy, beyond the MASTS project.

• Web Linked Survey Database
• Summary of Key Informant Interviews 
• Marine Social Survey Framework and Guidelines 
• National Level Marine Social Attitudes Survey 
• Report of Survey Data Analysis
• Local Costal Community Level Marine Social Attitudes Survey 
• Report on Local Survey Data Analysis

• Prof Stephen Hynes 
• Dr. Patricia McHugh 
• Dr. Julian Worley