Aquatic invasive species (AIS) not only pose a threat to the natural balance of ecosystems, but also impede recreational activities, and result in economic damage to individuals, towns, and states. Recent studies suggest environmental educational efforts have been an effective tool in raising awareness of AIS issues among the public; however, we lack a more general understanding of how public versus manager perceptions of invasive species differ. To fill this gap, I assessed New Hampshire lake managers' perceptions of issues surrounding AIS management through 50 semi-structured Zoom interviews. The interviews were transcribed and coded by two researchers, one with an extensive knowledge of AIS and one with minimal knowledge. My results indicate a state-wide shift towards the use of educational outreach programs. Next, to establish the general waterbody users' perception, I randomly distributed surveys at 37 restaurants in lake-based communities within a five-mile radius of a large, medium, and small lake in NH. Using a cluster and principal components analysis, I differentiated respondents by demography, knowledge, and concern. Groups 1 and 2 varied significantly on nine AIS variables: age, angler identification, education, gender, residence proximity to a lake, knowledge, name, concern, and familiarity with the Lake Host association. My study suggests that, as transport and introduction of AIS into a waterbody can occur easily, management efforts rely heavily on the level of funding, regional cooperation, and commitment of individual managers and lake-users. Further, while blanket outreach campaigns have been effective in expanding the knowledge reach of AIS, this effort alone may not be sufficient. Instead, integrating practices of rapid response and appeals to responsibility norms, focused on less frequent lake-users, will likely be necessary.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Author-supplied Keywords","value":["Perception","Principal component analysis","Aquatic invasive species"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Drupal Node ID: 24112