Perceptions of environmental change over more than six decades in two groups of people interacting with the environment of Port Phillip Bay, Australia
Assessment of environmental change over long periods of time is often impossible due to the absence of long-term quantitative data. Because it is not possible to collect such data retrospectively, qualitative data may provide some understanding of variation in environmental parameters over large temporal scales. The potential of qualitative data to yield valid and informative conclusions hinges on the extent of consistency in those data. The present study explored the potential for semi-structured interviews to serve as a data source for the retrospective assessment of environmental change. Two groups of people (anglers and divers) interacting with the environment of Port Phillip Bay, Australia, were questioned about their perceptions of change in that environment. Accounts covered more than six decades and several patterns emerged. Commercial dredging for scallop (Pecten fumatus) was assumed to have had a major negative impact on many taxa. Abundance of Snapper (Pagrus auratus) increased after dredging ceased in the mid-1990s though size and abundance were reduced relative to the early 1960s. The abundance of Flathead spp. (Neoplathycephalus richardsoni, Plathycephalus laevigatus & Plathycephalus arenarius) declined, and the spread of an introduced seastar (Asterias amurensis) was implicated in this decline. Importantly, the overall condition of Port Phillip Bay appears to have deteriorated on a large scale. Many species of fish and invertebrates purportedly disappeared or declined over the course of six decades. Similarly, a substantial reduction of macroalgae was noted. This preliminary study underscores the potential of qualitative data to assess environmental conditions in the past and illustrates the capacity for interdisciplinary research to aid in management and conservation.