Lots of work has been done this year in Portofino!
We kicked off in February with a preliminary survey of dive operators’ points of view. This survey – based on questionnaires, focus groups and interviews – has been updated throughout summer and fall, getting deeper insight into a number of selected topics. 2015 was also dedicated to divers, with underwater observations as well as on-site, questionnaire-based surveys. Some divers even volunteered after-dive physiological data. In parallel, the community around the diving business was also investigated. Finally, environmental assessment was initiated with focus on iconic species that are highly sought after by divers.
Now it’s time to sit down, analyse the latest data and write. The first feedback-reports are already in the hands of local stakeholders, while summaries can be found here. Several manuscripts are in the pipeline, and will be made publicly available either as such or in a summarised format as soon as published.
We are extremely grateful to all people in and around the Portofino MPA who supported our work and made it possible. Among these, a huge thank you goes to local authorities, to all dive operators that joined us and, of course, to the many enthusiast divers that lended themselves to our research.
Here is the list of dive operators that helped us during our work in the Portofino MPA:
– Abyss Diving Service (Rapallo)
– Bubble Lounge (Recco)
– Corderia Nazionale (Genoa)
– Dive Passion (Santa Margherita Ligure)
– Diving Academy (Santa Margherita Ligure)
– Diving Evolution Portofino (Santa Margherita Ligure)
– DWS diving center (Santa Margherita Ligure)
– European Dive Center (Santa Margherita Ligure)
– Il Grande Blu (Santa Margherita Ligure)
– Odissea Sub (Lavagna)
– Portofino Divers (Santa Margherita Ligure)
– Style Diving (San Michele di Pagana)
– Tortuga Diving Portofino (Santa Margherita Ligure)
THANK YOU, and see you in 2016!