SCUBA tourism and coral reefs: a social-ecological network analysis of governance challenges in Indonesia

Abstract

In this article, we conduct a social-ecological network analysis of SCUBA tourism human–environmental interactions in the Gili MATra Marine Park in Indonesia. Network methodologies are being increasingly applied, but this study represents–to our knowledge–a first example focusing on the governance of the SCUBA tourism sector. We developed a novel mixed methodology for data collection, data integration and data analyses specific to SCUBA tourism to understand human–nature interactions. This includes interviews with business operators, the use of secondary data on reef compositions and health, and a randomized survey sample of SCUBA tourist perceptions. Our findings indicate a densely interconnected network of social cooperation driven by older and larger businesses with historical leadership roles. High intensity and partially selective patterns of reef use exist, explained by numerous factors including tourist preferences for reef features, site names and business location. However, the analysis of ecological connectivity indicates high dive site similarity, suggesting that alternative sites exist for reducing crowds and increasing safety while still meeting tourist preferences. We discuss methodological innovations and linking results to context with qualitative data. We also propose social-ecological hypotheses (motifs) linked to system outcomes for future SCUBA tourism research.