Professor Involved in Statewide Survey on Ocean Access
Shannon Switzer Swanson, a Cal State San Marcos assistant professor of environmental studies, is involved in a statewide research project that seeks to understand how Californians value the Pacific coastline and the barriers they face in accessing it.
Swanson, who’s in her fourth year as a faculty member at CSUSM, is serving as a research associate for the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, a Monterey-based nonprofit that champions science-based solutions to protect ecosystems and strengthen community resilience. She was enlisted last summer by head researcher Jennifer Selgrath to lead the project’s efforts in San Diego County, primarily through the circulation of a survey about ocean access. This spring, she also will help with interviews and focus groups in the area, as well as data analysis and dissemination.
The multiphase project is being funded by the California Ocean Protection Council.
“They want to understand how to more effectively allocate their funds to improve coastal access for all Californians who would like to spend time on our coastline,” Swanson said. “Not just improve access, but improve the experience in these beach/coastal/ocean spaces.”
Swanson said preliminary results from the nearly 5,000 people statewide (about 500 in the county) who have taken the survey show a desire for better-maintained public restroom facilities and training resources that can familiarize people with environmental concerns, including how to interact safely with wildlife. In addition to affecting policy and budget allocation, the results will inform managers of the state’s marine protected areas (MPAs) about Californians’ baseline understanding of the MPAs and national marine sanctuaries along our coast.
“There are numerous other applications,” Swanson said. “We are amassing a truly large and diverse data set that includes voices historically overlooked in coastal management conversations. We envision the data informing state and federal policy toward a new era of improved coastal access for a larger segment of California's population, including inland and marginalized communities who do not always feel safe or welcomed at the coast."
The survey will be open until the end of February. People who fill it out will be entered into a drawing for ocean-related prizes, such as whale watching tours.
The survey can be found at the California Ocean Access website. Contact the project coordinator, Manuela Diaz, at manueladiaz@ucsb.edu for more information as well as social media assets to spread awareness of the survey.
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