visitor survey

Visitor survey

OMB Control No.: 0648-xxxx

Date of expiration: XX/XX/20XX

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: The collection of this information is authorized under the Coral Reef Conservation Act (P.L. 106-562).

Purpose: Stakeholder use information, as related to frequency and areas of use, views on area conditions, and perceptions concerning congestion are needed to determine limits of acceptable change (LAC) in Puerto Rico’s Northeastern Marine Corridor (Northeast Reserves and Culebra Island), which can be used to strengthen conservation of the area’s coral reef and related ecosystems.

NOAA Routine Uses: NOAA will use this information to gather information from main stakeholders in the Northeast Marine Corridor of Puerto Rico. Disclosure of this information is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a) to be shared among NOAA staff for work-related purposes. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all of the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices COMMERCE/NOAA-6, Fishermen’s Statistical Data and COMMERCE/NOAA-11, Contact Information for Members of the Public Requesting or Providing Information Related to NOAA's Mission.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary; however, failure to participate in the survey will result in less information to support the conservation and management goals of the Coral Reef Conservation Program.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes/hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other suggestions for reducing this burden to (CHRISTOPHER JEFFREY), NOAA NOS, (1305 East West Highway, Rm #9213, N/SCI-1, Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA).

Everything we discuss will be protected. When we complete our interviews and other work, we will write a report that summarizes everything we have learned.  We will not use people’s names in our reports, or write about anything that is sensitive. 

Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subjected to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. 

Date_______________ Ferry time: AM PM Ferry dock: Culebra Vieques

Beach: SSB MMB MB

1. What is your zip code? _______________ Country?____________

2. Gender: M F

3. Which of the following includes your age group?

   1. Less than 18

   2. 18-30

   3. 31-40

   4. 41-50

   5. 51-60

   6. Over 60

4. Number of persons in your group: ___________________

5. Are you a day visitor or overnight visitor in this area? DAY OVERNIGHT

• If overnight, then how many days were you in this location? _____________

• If overnight, then how many days were/will you be in Puerto Rico?_________

6. Is this your first trip to the area in Puerto Rico?

   1. Yes

   2. No

      1. If No, then when was your last trip (year)?___________________

   3. I am a resident of Puerto Rico

7. Which of the locations/areas have you visited on this trip apart from this area?

Culebra____________________________

Vieques____________________________

Fajardo, including Icacos, Palomino__________________________________

Luquillo______________________________

Other areas, please list: ___________________________________________

8. In which of the following activities did you participate over your trip? Mark all those that apply.

Relaxation Beaches Snorkeling from shore

Snorkeling from a boat Diving from shore Diving from a boat

Kayaking Culture Bio Bays

Fishing from shore Fishing from a boat Spearfishing

Hiking Surfing Cruising

Waterskiing Jetskiing Other

9. What was the TOP reason for your visit? Please only select one.

Relaxation Beaches Snorkeling from shore

Snorkeling from a boat Diving from shore Diving from a boat

Kayaking Culture Bio Bays

Fishing from shore Fishing from a boat Spearfishing

Hiking Surfing Cruising

Waterskiing Jetskiing Other

10. What is the number of visitors/users you would consider as being a reasonable number (in your immediate area) for the following activities?

Activity	Number of other visitors
Visiting a beach	1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30
Snorkeling	1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30
Diving	1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30
Kayaking	1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30
Surfing	1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30
Hiking	1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30
Fishing	1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30
Spearfishing	1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30
Visiting the bio bay	1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 Over 30

11. Top 3 beaches visited, in terms of total use

    1. Beach 1 _____________________________________________

    2. Beach 2 _____________________________________________

    3. Beach 3 _____________________________________________

12. Please list the condition of each resource, from 1 to 5, where is excellent and 5 is very poor.

Location	Please list the number of visitors seen	Amenities	Cleanliness	Space	Crowding	Condition of natural resources	Lower visitor totals? (YES OR NO)
Beach 1
Beach 2
Beach 3

13. Snorkeling

If you snorkel, would you consider yourself:

1. Beginner – just started and have limited ability

2. Intermediate – have snorkeled several times before and feel comfortable using gear

3. Advanced – have snorkeled many times and are very comfortable using gear

14. Please list the condition of each resource, from 1 to 5, where is excellent and 5 is very poor.

Location	Please list the number of snorkelers seen	Water clarity	Number of fish	Types of fish	Size of fish	Coral condition	Crowding	Lower visitor totals? (YES OR NO)
Shoreline (in NMC area)
Luis Pena
La Cordillera

15. Diving

If you dive, would you consider yourself:

1. Beginner – just got certified for open water and made 1-2 dives

2. Intermediate – have dived several times but only so often each year

3. Advanced – have dived often and recently

16. Please list the condition of each resource, from 1 to 5, where is excellent and 5 is very poor.

Location	Please list the number of divers seen	Water clarity	Number of fish	Types of fish	Size of fish	Coral condition	Crowding	Lower visitor totals? (YES OR NO)
Shoreline
Luis Pena
La Cordillera

17. Fishing

If you fish would you consider yourself:

4. Beginner – just go out and throw a hook in the water

5. Intermediate – know how to fish but do so on occasion

6. Advanced – avid fisher who fishes frequently and is well versed with gear and bait

18. Please list the condition of each fishing resource, from 1 to 5, where is excellent and 5 is very poor.

Location	Please list the number of fishers seen	Number of fish caught	Size of fish caught	Target species caught	Crowding	Lower visitor totals? (YES OR NO)
Shoreline fishing
Fishing from a boat
Spearfishing

19. Please rate your views on the following resources/conditions as these apply.

Resources	Excellent condition	Good condition	Fair condition	Poor condition	Very poor condition
Beaches
Mangroves
Sea grasses
Water clarity
Plastics on the coast and in the water
Other trash, such as bottles and cans on beaches and water
Coral reefs
Fishes and invertebrates
Overall resource conditions

20. Compared to your expectations, how would rate the number of other users/visitors you saw over your trip?

    1. Much more than I expected

    2. More than I expected

    3. About what I expected

    4. Less than I expected

    5. Much less than I expected

21. How likely are you willing to return to this area for another trip in the next 1-5 years?

    1. Very likely

    2. Likely

    3. Not likely

    4. Not likely at all

22. How would the following factors affect your expected likeliness to return for another trip?

Location	Very important	Important	Somewhat important	Not very important	Not important at all
Beach quality
Condition of marine resources, such as corals, mangroves
Amount of coastal pollution, such as plastics and garbage
Crowding conditions, space
Amount of noise, especially from music
Cost of trip, in terms of lodging, activities

23. Which of the factors is the single most important that would influence your willingness to return for another trip?

    1. Beach quality

    2. Marine resources conditions

    3. Coastal pollution, such as plastics, garbage, and other solid waste

    4. Crowding conditions

    5. Amount of noise

    6. Cost of trip

    7. Other________________________________