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<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Join Zoom meeting:
</span></u></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><a href="https://fsu.zoom.us/j/799226959" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#0E71EB;background:white;text-decoration:none">https://fsu.zoom.us/j/799226959</span></a></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">
Meeting ID: </span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#232333;background:white">799-226-959</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bell MT",serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Handwriting";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="xhtmlbody" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;mso-line-height-alt:11.5pt;background:white">
<u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Handwriting";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Oceanography Defense<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="xhtmlbody" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:11.5pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#201F1E"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="xhtmlbody" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;mso-line-height-alt:11.5pt;background:white">
<span style="font-size:26.0pt;font-family:"Monotype Corsiva";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Lindsay<b>
</b>Hooper</span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Monotype Corsiva";color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">M.S. Oceanography Candidate</span><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xhtmlbody" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><u><span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;text-transform:uppercase;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">TITLE</span></u></b><b><span style="font-family:SimSun;color:#201F1E;text-transform:uppercase">:
</span></b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Bell MT",serif">Compliance of Dolphin Ecotours in Southwest Florida to the NOAA Marine Mammal Viewing Guidelines</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><o:p><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Major Professor</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">:
</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Bell MT",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Dr. Mariana Fuentes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Date</span></u></b><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">:</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> <b>March
26, 2020</b> <b><u>Time</u>: 12:00 PM<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="xhtmlbody" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#201F1E"> </span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span></u></b><span style="color:black"><a href="https://fsu.zoom.us/j/799226959" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#0E71EB;background:white;text-decoration:none">https://fsu.zoom.us/j/799226959</span></a></span><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"inherit",serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">
Meeting ID: </span></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#232333;background:white">799-226-959</span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Bell MT",serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"> </span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;background:white">
<b><span style="color:#201F1E"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;background:white">
<b><span style="color:#201F1E">ABSTRACT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" align="center" style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;background:white">
<span style="color:#201F1E"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">To understand ecotour compliance to marine mammal viewing guidelines it is essential to evaluate compliance as a holistic system. This requires not only assessing compliance
levels to guidelines, but also assessing captain and passenger knowledge and perceptions of guidelines, as well as how passenger experience is affected by compliance. This is particularly important in areas of thriving ecotourism that have a focus on marine
mammals. To address the need for this multi-facet approach to assess compliance, this study 1) assessed ecotour compliance levels to the NOAA Southeast U.S. marine mammal viewing guidelines while interacting with bottlenose dolphins (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>)
in Southwest Florida, 2) evaluated captain and passenger knowledge and perceptions of the guidelines, 3) explored how passenger experience was affected by compliance. Ecotour compliance was assessed via 16 observations of eight boat-based dolphin ecotours
during March - April 2019. Captains’ knowledge and opinions of the guidelines, as well as their perceived compliance to the guidelines, were obtained through an online questionnaire distributed after the field observations were completed. Passenger knowledge
and perceptions of the guidelines, as well as how compliance affects their experience, were recorded through paper surveys given in person after the ecotour trip in which they took part was over. Of the 12 NOAA viewing guidelines, ecotour captains violated
44% of guidelines on average. Captains generally knew and supported the guidelines, and were aware of their own violations, yet still demonstrated low compliance levels. Passengers also supported the guidelines and valued compliance but did not have enough
knowledge about the guidelines to recognize captain violations. Most passengers were willing to pay more for compliant tours, and reported that captains violating the guidelines would negatively affect their trip. Suggestions on possible ways to increase compliance
and decrease the potential for negative impacts to the dolphins are made based on our results.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Shel McGuire<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Florida State University<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Academic Program Specialist<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Department of Earth, Ocean, & Atmospheric Science<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1011 Academic Way, 2019 EOA Building<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tallahassee, FL 32306<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">850-644-8582<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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