Drivers of willingness to pay among scuba divers in the Great Barrier Reef

Marine reserves are effective tools for protecting marine resources and ecosystems. However, financing their establishment and maintenance remains a challenge for many locales. Tourists and scuba divers are known to place a premium on pristine ecological conditions typically found inside marine reserves, which can be monetized in some cases by introducing a user fee. Here, we conducted a willingness-to-pay (WTP) study with a survey of 170 scuba divers who visited the Great Barrier Reef. We tested scuba divers' WTP for differing ecological conditions, as well as the protection status of dive sites. Using the contingent valuation method for five key ecological attributes of a hypothetical dive site - coral cover, coral diversity, fish diversity, fish abundance, and fish size - we found that divers' WTP was highest when all five attributes were present at high levels. Divers also placed a premium on the marine reserve's protection status and were willing to pay A$14.5 to dive in a marine reserve even if its conditions were identical to those in a fished zone. Finally, we found that 85 % of divers were willing to pay a user fee if the purpose of the fee (e.g., protection and management) was explicitly stated. Our results suggest that revenue can be generated from upgrading the protection status of dive sites, which can be used to support their restoration and maintenance.