Coastal Services Center

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COMMUNITIES

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The Communities theme area considers stakeholder characteristics and the way these communities function with regard to the use and conservation of marine resources. Factors in this theme include community decision making, information flow, carrying capacity, lessons learned, community character, and socioeconomic data.

Common Questions

• What impacts do MPAs have on communities?
• How does the public believe MPAs affect quality of life?
• What are the primary factors in community-based decision making?
• How is community character linked to local resources?
• What can managers do to help preserve a community's character?
• What is the carrying capacity of an MPA Community?

What Are Some Tools I Can Use?

Observation	Case Study Research	Focus Groups
Nonmarket Valuation	Social Impact Assessment	Content Analysis
Secondary Data Analysis	Ethnography	Interviewing
Surveys	Rapid Assessment