THE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program is engaging local surveyors to conduct a CNMI-wide survey that will collect information on residents’ use of coral reefs and their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of coral reef ecosystems and coral reef management. It is part of a larger effort to improve coral reef conservation programs at local, regional, and national levels.
Pacific Coastal Research & Planning, a non-profit based on Saipan, is collaborating with the research team to facilitate local surveying efforts on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Through this partnership, local hires will have the opportunity to be trained in social science surveying techniques and gain real world research experience in the field.
Household residents across the CNMI will be randomly selected and invited to participate in the survey, which will be offered in English, Chamorro, Refaluwasch, and Tagalog. The survey should take no longer than 20 minutes and can be completed in-person or online. The goal is to survey 500 CNMI residents by the end of April 2024.
The results from this survey will be instrumental in helping NOAA and the government of the CNMI improve coral reef conservation and the services coral reef ecosystems provide for communities.
“Residents’ participation in this survey is important so that the diverse voices of the CNMI are represented. This is critical for equitable and effective conservation, as coral reef management depends on understanding how people interact with and depend upon these special ecosystems,” said Dr. Mary Allen, National Coral Reef Monitoring Program socioeconomic lead.
This will be the second resident survey conducted in the CNMI by NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program. Results will provide critical insights into how social conditions have changed since the first survey was conducted in 2016 and 2017. Participation in the survey is voluntary and confidential, but residents are encouraged to participate if invited. A more inclusive survey results in better quality information for use by managers of the CNMI’s coral reefs and coastal communities.
For more information about this project and participating in this survey if contacted, see https://www.coris.noaa.gov/monitoring/socioeconomic_cnmi_survey.html/.
