Many outdoor recreation settings present stressful situations that directly influence the quality of one's leisure experience. Some recreationists are able to maintain their enjoyment by adopting various coping strategies. In conditions that induce stress, recreationists can select from a combination of behavioral coping strategies (e.g., substitution of recreational setting or activity) and/or cognitive coping strategies (e.g., rationalization). Previous coping research has indicated that the key to understanding the stress -- coping process is how one appraises the stressors. In spite of the acknowledged importance of individual appraisals, however, there is scant empirical evidence available documenting this mediating effect. To explore the role of appraisal in the stress - coping relationship, I drew upon Lazarus and Folkman's transactional theory of stress and coping. Using data collected from recreationists boating in Texas and Korea, I tested a model where the relationship between stress and coping was hypothesized to be mediated by individual's appraisals within the context of water-based recreational activities. Data were collected from recreationists residing near Lake Granbury in Texas (n=186) and recreationists at Lake Chung-pyung in South Korea (n=462). Initial testing of the model illustrated poor fit. I then tested the model independently for the two groups. For Korean respondents, results showed that one's evaluative process (appraisal) mediated the relationship between stress level and selected coping strategies. Further, the degree of involvement with a recreational activity, attachment to a setting, and self-construal moderated the stress -- appraisal -- coping relationship. Model testing for American respondents showed that the factor structure deviated from what was originally hypothesized. Subsequent testing produced an alternate factor structure; direct action, disengagement, temporal substitution, and cognitive coping. However, there was no mediating role of appraisal in the relationship between stress and coping for this group. Moreover, there was no moderating effect of place attachment, leisure activity involvement, and self-construal for American respondents. In short, the results of this study partially supported the transactional theory of stress and coping. For both groups, positive appraisal was more strongly related to behavioral coping, while cognitive coping (rationalization) was influenced by respondents' negative appraisal of the boating conditions. Even under potentially stressful conditions, some recreationists consider the situation controllable. Future investigations should also consider exploring and comparing the coping processes of different user groups, across age cohorts, and among recreationists within similar contexts.

The conceptualization of leisure constraints is dependent on negotiating a hierarchy of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural leisure constraints. It has become a recognizable and distinct subfield within leisure studies. Research has shown that the leisure constraints should not be necessarily viewed as insurmountable obstacles. Individuals can negotiate constraints by applying an array of coping mechanisms. Recently, Iwasaki and Schneider (2003) and Schneider and Stanis (2007) proposed that constraints negotiation and coping with stress share much in common. Leisure constraints are considered elements of stress, whereas constraint negotiation appears to share commonalities with ways of coping with stress. The distinction between negotiation and coping is that negotiation is something people have engaged in prior to participating in the activity, whereas coping involves strategies people more typically engage in during active participation (in response to unwanted or unanticipated situations). Based on past literature, I constructed a constraints-coping model to extend our understanding of constraints negotiation by integrating an understanding of coping mechanisms into leisure constraints-negotiation models. In order to broaden the scope of a constraints-coping framework, I integrated additional social indicators (e.g., commitment, motivation, place attachment, and frequency of participation) into my hypothesized model. First, my testing of the constraints-coping model provided empirical support for Iwasaki and his colleagues' suggestion that coping strategies can be potentially integrated into models of constraints-negotiation processes. Second, I confirmed that the three types of onsite constraints continue to have relevance for active participants. The three types of constraining factors directly influence subsequent aspects of leisure engagement for recreationists already participating. Third, I confirmed that recreationists are more likely to cope with constraints by employing an array of problem-focused coping strategies, rather than to simply adjust cognitively. However, my findings illustrate that recreationists' coping responses vary in response to different types of constraints encountered (e.g., intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural). The experience of constraints did not universally result in the increased use of coping. Fourth, my results confirm that motivation is an immediate antecedent of constraints as well as a potential trigger for encouraging more problem-focused coping strategies. Last, four selected key variables (e.g., place attachment, commitment motivation, and frequency of participation) demonstrated different effects on influencing active participants' perceived constraints and subsequent coping strategies. Future investigations of coping strategies should continue to explore how active participants cope with onsite constraints based on a constraints-coping model in different settings.

A simultaneous demand and supply model for the U.S. ski/wakeboard boat market is estimated by three-stage least squares and iterated three-stage least squares methods using publicly available data. The model is used to test if, and to what extent, certain factors impact the annual quantity of new ski/wakeboard boats demanded and supplied. Statistical analysis suggests that the model does a good job of explaining the annual quantity of new ski/wakeboard boats demanded and supplied. The findings are most immediately beneficial to manufacturers and dealers. Dealers can use the results to better forecast demand which in turn will lead to more efficient production planning for manufacturers.

Mollusks growth is a very important and sensitive response to environmental stresses sincethey are good indicators of the available amount of contaminants in the water; reduced growth represents adverse environmental effects and possible effects on the population.Sweden has about 3,000 Natural Reserves and 28 National Parks. Kosterhavets is the first National Marine Park and it is located on the west coast of Sweden, it is also considered one of the most vulnerable areas since 6000 marine species can be found here and about200 are found nowhere else. It is not only a touristic destination; it is also a home and a work place to many people. The type of pollutants and environmental impacts that areproduced by recreation activities on marinas on such park depend very much on the amount of boats. Mytilus edulis has been widely used to monitor the biological effects of contamination by different ways, such as chemical analysis and biological responses. Themain goal of this project was to assess the status of three different marinas with high and low boat traffic and use the shell length of the blue mussel M. edulis as a potential bioindicator to detect effects from boating activities pressures. The main findings arising from this study are that the sizes of the mussels from the three areas with high boat traffic are significantly smaller than the area with little boat traffic. / <p>www.ima.kth.se</p>

Marine protected areas (MPAs) may be implemented as a means of managing human impacts on the marine environment; however, MPAs commonly have both biological and social goals, which are often addressed through the use of multiple use marine zoning. In British Columbia, 900 km2 of the waters surrounding the southern Gulf Islands are under consideration for a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA). Should the NMCA be created, a marine zoning plan will be developed for the region. Research has shown that MPAs and associated zoning schemes are unlikely to be successful at meeting their conservation objectives if they are not accepted by, and responsive to the needs of, stakeholders. This study examines recreational boating in the southern Gulf Islands, within the context of the proposed NMCA. Specific areas of focus include: (1) activities, setting preferences, and sources of perceived conflict amongst boaters, (2) dimensions of support for and opposition to the concept of marine zoning amongst boaters, and (3) spatial patterns of recreational boating in the region. Methods included a focus group and a face-to face questionnaire, delivered to boaters in the southern Gulf Islands from June – September, 2007 (n=543, response rate=92%). Results show that there is variability in the environmental, social, and managerial setting preferences of recreational boaters, and that boat type has an influence across all three categories. Furthermore, several activities emerged as sources of perceived conflict for recreational boaters. Reasons provided as to the nature of these conflicts indicate that while some may be potentially addressed through marine zoning, others may be better mitigated through education and communication strategies. While a majority of boaters are supportive of the general concept of marine zoning, there are some issues and concerns that will need to be addressed as MPA implementation proceeds. Support for marine zoning was found to be strongly related to perceived benefits, particularly environmental benefits. Major dimensions of opposition included perceptions of over-regulation, fears of losing access for boating, and mistrust of government involvement in managing the marine environment. Spatial data was collected by asking respondents to indicate on a map the route of their current boating trip, resulting in a rich spatial dataset for recreational boating in the region. Mapping and display of this data indicates both hotspot destinations and heavily traveled corridors for recreational boating; furthermore, because spatial data can be linked to questionnaire variables, this dataset can provide the basis for a great deal of customized mapping and analysis related to spatial patterns of boating. Given that little information on recreational boating in the region existed prior to this study, results from all three areas of focus together make a significant contribution to understanding recreational boating in the southern Gulf Islands, and provides valuable information for MPA planners and managers. In addition, this study also contributes to MPA research, recreation and leisure research, and research examining methods of spatially characterizing boating activity.