Sustainability Of Coastal/Marine Recreation: Modeling Social Carrying Capacity For Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

Social capacity can be defined as the number and distribution of visitors that provide minimal acceptable recreation experiences (Shelby & Heberlein, 1986); however, it is difficult to define (Washburne 1982). What is acceptable to one user may not be to another and such perceptions may differ by recreational sites; one may seek solitude at certain site and the same individual may accept presence of other recreationists at another site. This study examines the consequences of recreation resource use in coastal and marine sites from social capacity perspectives. The study contains surveys from Kaneohe Bay, located on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The site attracts recreationists with its abundant marine resources and thus, faces mixed recreational use of the resources. The site is already the subject of environmental assessments; however, there have been no studies on the social carrying capacity of this area. The surveys were conducted from August 2001 to August 2002 at five (5) sites along Kaneohe Bay (The Bay). The number of subjects was 408. The analysis explored seasonal fluctuation of user perceptions and indicators of satisfaction. The findings suggest some potential issues calling for management effort. Grant/Contract nos. NA86RG0041 NA16RG2254

社会承载力（Social capacity）可定义为能够提供最低可接受游憩体验的游客数量与分布格局（Shelby & Heberlein, 1986）；然而该概念的界定颇具难度（Washburne 1982）。不同游憩者对可接受体验的标准存在差异，且这种感知会因游憩场地的不同而有所区别：某位游客可能在某一场景下寻求独处，而在另一场景下却能接纳其他游憩者的存在。本研究从社会承载力视角出发，探讨海岸与海洋场地游憩资源利用所产生的各类影响。研究数据源自夏威夷瓦胡岛卡内奥赫湾（Kaneohe Bay）的调研问卷。该海湾凭借丰富的海洋资源吸引了大量游憩者，因此面临游憩资源混合利用的困境。尽管该场地已开展过环境评估相关工作，但目前尚无针对该区域社会承载力的相关研究。调研于2001年8月至2002年8月期间，在卡内奥赫湾（下称"该海湾"）的5处场地开展，共纳入408名受访者。分析过程中，研究团队探讨了游憩者感知与满意度指标的季节波动特征。研究结果显示存在若干亟待管理干预的潜在问题。资助/合同编号：NA86RG0041、NA16RG2254