The growing industry of whale-watching is allowing increasing numbers of people access to whales in their natural environment, and constitutes a non-consumptive use of the whales compared to whaling. At the same time, questions are often raised about the hidden effects of whale-watching on the whales. A population of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) which spends the summer feeding in Clayoquot Sound, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, is regularly observed by whale-watchers from the nearby tourist centre of Tofino. Concern among whale-watching business operators and tourists about the possible effects of whale-watching on the feeding whales was heightened in the years preceding this study by an apparent northward movement of the whales, taking them farther from the Tofino, the point of departure for whale-watching tours. This study attempts to explain this apparent trend by finding out whether the whales' short-term behaviour is affected by the presence of whale-watching vessels, and by examining their short and long-term behaviour in the wider context of some of the features of their environment. Whales were observed from a small research vessel for three feeding seasons, in five locations within the area known as Clayoquot Sound. The whales' ventilations were recorded continuously and their location and the number of whale-watching vessels present was recorded at regular intervals. The whales' benthic prey was sampled in all three seasons and their planktonic prey in 1995. A series of variables were calculated from the ventilation data and compared to the number of vessels. The whales' dive behaviour was correlated much more strongly with feeding location than with vessel number. Even with these two factors taken into account, much of the variation in their behaviour remains unaccounted for. Because of this, although the behavioural change in the presence of vessels is statistically significant, there is reason to doubt whether it is biologically significant. The effects of feeding location are probably a composite of the effects of depth, prey type and other factors which are difficult to measure. Of the two main components, prey type appears to have a greater effect than depth on gray whale behaviour. Interaction exists between the effects of site and those of whale-watch vessels, meaning that the effects of vessels are different at different sites. The general pattern is that the effects of vessel presence are more pronounced in shallow sites than in deep, although there are some exceptions to this trend. Gray whale prey shows considerable variation in location, density and composition from year to year. The long-term patterns of gray whale habitat use more closely resemble a prey-selection-driven pattern than a pattern of avoidance of whale-watch vessels. The relatively small influence of vessel numbers on gray whale feeding behaviour suggests that the current guidelines in place for whale-watching vessels are effective in limiting disturbance of the whales. The variable nature of their prey supply suggests that gray whales use all the sites in Clayoquot Sound, and that the availability of a diverse selection of prey is necessary for their success in the tertiary feeding grounds. / Graduate

A descriptive case study approach and 34 indicators was used to examine the socio-economic impacts of whale watching tourism in the Laguna San Ignacio (LSI) World Heritage Site - located within the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The framework measured both the socio-economic changes, and the economic viability of the local and regional operators. This approach led to a detailed understanding of the underlying, and often complex, inter-related factors that shaped the ecotourism development in LSI between 1994 and 2002. It identified strengths and weaknesses of current ecotourism development making it a valid tool for evaluating and improving these activities in any biosphere reserve. More specifically the objectives were to examine: 1. How existing ecotourism operations and their activities in the LSI have changed since 1994; 2. Whether these changes have made ecotourism a more viable socio-economic development alternative for the local communities; and 3. Which strategies may be useful in overcoming identified barriers to further socio-economic benefits both from existing and future ecotourism activities. The results strongly suggested that the benefits from ecotourism improved significantly between 1994 and 2002. Economically this was reflected in growth of visitor numbers (50%), employment (100%) and local and regional revenue approximately 70% (or 55% in real terms adjusting for inflation). Social benefits were seen in more cooperation among previous antagonistic stakeholders; a wider distribution of ecotourism benefits; some improvement in living standards and increasing local support for the Reserve. Politically, local stakeholders became more empowered through involvement in tourism related management activities. The viability of the local and regional operators also improved significantly as they became more sophisticated in their product offerings, enhanced their facilities and gained a market share of ecotourism relative to the foreign operators. These improvements were particular true for the operators that sold package tours. However, the analyses also revealed a number of barriers with the most important ones being: • Unresolved historic land use conflicts over rights to land with ecotourism possibilities; • Lack of activities diversification possibilities outside the tourism season; • Stagnating visitor numbers; • Uneven business skills among operators; • Poor marketing and promotional efforts; • Insufficient ecotourism infrastructure; • A proposed ecotourism tax; • Low profit margin of the ecotourism operators; and • Lack of funding for further investments To alleviate these threats and barriers 13 general strategies were identified. An elaboration of these resulted in 39 concrete operational strategies on how potentially to implement them. / Science, Faculty of / Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute for / Graduate

The relatively new phenomenon of binge watching presents a dramatic shift from the norm of traditional television viewing. However, is this ubiquitously popular media marathon that contains negative connotations really bad for you? A survey administered to 157 television binge-watchers identified the role of stress and self-control in influencing both the gratifications sought and the consequences of binge watching through the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. The current study found that binge watching to avoid problems is a commonly employed strategy for individuals to cope with stress. However, engaging in binge-watching behavior as a coping mechanism to purposefully avoid problems can result in feelings of guilt and regret. It is also surprising that self-control has no impact on one's binge watching gratifications. The findings of this thesis encourage future researchers and binge watching lovers to view this new behavior from a new perspective and to practice it with caution.

Asian cultures have been heavily influenced by Western culture due to globalization. Video on demand (VOD) services provide a means to quantify the westernization of Asian cultures, especially those within South Korea. As the majority of current binge-watching studies have been conducted utilizing U.S. samples, there is a need for comparative research between the two cultures, to see if westernization can be quantified via these means. The current study examined the relative levels of five Korean binge-watching motivations (enjoyment, efficiency, recommendation of others, perceived control, fandom) and eight American binge-watching motivations (escape, information, engagement, relaxation, passing time, hedonism, social, habit) sourced from prior research, among a Korean (n =113) and American (n = 193) sample. Results indicated that both Americans and Koreans scored highly on enjoyment and engagement. Americans scored higher on nine out of the 13 motivations: efficiency, recommendation of others, fandom, escape, relaxation, passing time, hedonism, social, and habit. Koreans scored higher on two out of the 13 motivations: information and perceived control. Also, Americans binge-watched more frequently than Koreans. In conclusion, the outcome of the study suggests where society is going with VOD services and binge-watching as a deeper understanding of binge-watching in a cross-cultural setting. Future researchers should consider a qualitative study to overcome the limited range of TV viewing motivational scales and a random sampling, assuring diversity in sample groups.

Asian cultures have been heavily influenced by Western culture due to globalization. Video on demand (VOD) services provide a means to quantify the westernization of Asian cultures, especially those within South Korea. As the majority of current binge-watching studies have been conducted utilizing U.S. samples, there is a need for comparative research between the two cultures, to see if westernization can be quantified via these means. The current study examined the relative levels of five Korean binge-watching motivations (enjoyment, efficiency, recommendation of others, perceived control, fandom) and eight American binge-watching motivations (escape, information, engagement, relaxation, passing time, hedonism, social, habit) sourced from prior research, among a Korean (n =113) and American (n = 193) sample. Results indicated that both Americans and Koreans scored highly on enjoyment and engagement. Americans scored higher on nine out of the 13 motivations: efficiency, recommendation of others, fandom, escape, relaxation, passing time, hedonism, social, and habit. Koreans scored higher on two out of the 13 motivations: information and perceived control. Also, Americans binge-watched more frequently than Koreans. In conclusion, the outcome of the study suggests where society is going with VOD services and binge-watching as a deeper understanding of binge-watching in a cross-cultural setting. Future researchers should consider a qualitative study to overcome the limited range of TV viewing motivational scales and a random sampling, assuring diversity in sample groups.

Whale-watching is a major tourism venture in developed and developing countries around the world. The management and conservation of this industry is dependent on social, economic, and ecological factors, but long-term ecological research is often absent. In this study, I present an example of a mature whale-watching location where research on all three variables is available. The University of Victoria’s Whale Research Lab has studied gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) in Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island for over 25 years and I use this information to form the basis for management recommendations that promote sustainable whale-watching practices and other resource use. To do this, I review how whale-watching is managed in Canada, B.C., and Clayoquot Sound, including the legislation and voluntary guidelines that are currently in place, and previous recommendations that have been made. I then analyze how whale-watching is conducted in southern Clayoquot Sound. I quantify boat behaviour with respect to whales and present six indicators of industry pressure that have been related to cetacean disturbance. The 2012 and 2013 seasons had significantly different numbers of whales present, and this was reflected in the fleet behaviour. Whale-watching activities do not appear to alter gray whale foraging efforts between seasons. Results indicated that both industry pressure and vessel behaviour with respect to whales changes depending on the season and the biological dynamics that influence whale presence. Finally, I synthesize findings of the Whale Research Lab in conjunction with my preceding chapters and present five management recommendations to all stakeholders with a vested interest in the continuation of sustainable whale-watching practices in Clayoquot Sound. / Graduate / 0366 / 0329

With the exposure of mass media, sports fans are able to enjoy games in real time in their homes (Beck & Bosshart, 2003; Phua, 2010). While just watching sports broadcasts, fans are likely to share the game experience with family, friends, and other fans who are following the same team (Gantz & Wenner, 1995). Besides, a significant number of people use social media when they are watching live sports broadcasts (Horn, 2012; Phua, 2012; Tang & Cooper, 2011). In particular, sports is one of the most common topics for Twitter users (Kwak, Lee, Park & Moon, 2010). Thus, this thesis explores 1) sports media audiences' motivations to watch live NFL game broadcasts with others, 2) their gratifications as a consequence of the group watching, 3) their motivations to use sports Twitter while watching live NFL game broadcasts, 4) their gratifications as a consequence of sports Twitter use while watching the game broadcasts, and 5) the level of gratifications as a consequence of the group watching and sports Twitter use. The factor analysis indicates that interactivity, fan identity, diversion/entertainment, and personal utility are the factors for the uses and gratifications of the group watching, while interactivity, information seeking, fan identity, and diversion/entertainment are the factors for sports Twitter use. All motivational factors are gratified as a consequence of sports group watching and Twitter use while watching the game broadcasts. This is the meaningful implication of the study that sports media allow the audience to have an opportunity to fulfill their desire for social interaction, and indeed, it is gratified as a consequence of sports media use. / Mass Media and Communication

Whale-watching provides economic opportunities worldwide and particularly proliferates in developing countries, such as the Philippines. The sustainability of whale-watching is increasingly debated as these activities also negatively impact cetaceans through changes in behavior, communication, habitat use, morbidity, mortality, and life-history parameters. This study evaluated the total annual cost, revenue, and profit of whale-watching operators in Bais, Philippines, and predicted the changes in the population for spinner dolphin Stenella longirostris with varying levels of whale-watching effort. Total revenue was 3,805,077 PHP ($92,478 USD) while total cost was 5,649,094 PHP ($137,294 USD) with a discount rate of ten percent. The total annual profit of whale-watching in Bais was – 1,844,017 PHP (– $44,817 USD). On average, each operator in Bais lost 160,350 PHP ($3,897 USD) per year from whale-watching. Through time, the spinner dolphin population decreased as it was exposed to more vessels, causing effort to increase, and thus decreased profit for operators. Under current whale-watching effort, the spinner dolphin population was predicted to decrease by 94 percent in 25 years. If Bais reduced effort in their operations to only three vessels whale-watching per day, the spinner dolphin population increased to 80 percent of its initial population size. This was the first study to predict the spinner dolphin population and estimate the total annual profit from whale-watching in Bais, Philippines. It provided data to locals for efficient, profitable, and sustainable decisions in whale-watching operations.

Sedan TV-apparaten uppfanns har man varit begränsad till linjär-Tv, både när det gäller utbud och antal avsnitt. Antalet kanaler har ökat och därigenom även antalet program användaren kan kolla på. Men tittandet sker fortfarande på en och samma stationära TV. Med utvecklingen av Video on Demand-tjänster (VoD) kom möjligheten att titta på serier var man vill och hur man vill. Detta nya medium utvecklade nya tittarmönster. Ett av dessa är binge-watching som inte så många har hört talas om men som många har en stor koppling till. Begreppet innebär att konsumenten ägnar sig åt att sträcktitta på en TV-serie. De flesta digitala tjänster försöker fokusera på att behålla publiken en längre tid framför skärmen för att tjäna mer pengar och därför utvecklar de plattformar med funktioner som uppmuntrar till binge-watching. Det är av intresse för hela samhället att förstå varför vi blir övertalade att titta längre på serier för att kunna förstå sina tittarbeteende och därigenom kontrollera dem. Syftet med vår studie är att undersöka vilka faktorer som uppmuntrar mest till binge-watching. För att svara på vår frågeställning ska vi också svara på arbetsfrågorna: “Vilka faktorer hos Netflix och Viaplay uppmuntrar mest till binge-watching?” och “Vilka externa faktorer uppmuntrar till binge-watching?” För att få svar på de frågorna har 17 medieteknikstudenter från KTH dagligen under en hel vecka fått svara på en logg angående sina tittarvanor. Vi har också genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer för att kunna fördjupa oss i deras användning av VoD-tjänster. Vårt arbete gav bra och användbara resultat med hjälp av de kvalitativa - och kvantitativa metoder vi skapade. De kan användas i en framtida undersökning om tv-tittande för att nå en publik som binge-watchar och därigenom utveckla studien. Resultatet visade att den automatiska uppspelningsfunktionen påverkar tittarna till att fortsätta titta vidare på en serie där bara 5 av användarna kunde motstå funktionen. Vi kom också fram till att tittarmiljön och valet av elektronisk enhet bidrog till ett ökat maratontittande. Mer än hälften av deltagarna föredrog att titta på serier på en större skärm. Många av dem erkände att TV och en skön soffa eller säng uppmuntrar till binge-watching. Undersökningen visade också att det inte bara är tekniska funktioner som uppmuntrar till binge-watching utan också tiden som användaren kan ägna åt deras tittande samt orsaken till tittandet. Studien visade att många funktioner hos båda VoD-tjänsterna liknar varandra. Den största skillnaden var att i Viaplay är det möjligt att pausa den automatiska uppspelningsfunktionen medan Netflix kan man inte pausa nedräkningen. Ingen av våra deltagare kände till den möjligheten hos Viaplay och därför kunde vi inte dra några slutsatser kring huruvida denna skillnad mellan tjänsterna uppmuntrar till binge-watching. / Since television was invented one has been limited to linear television, both in terms of programs and the number of episodes. The number of channels has since then increased as has the number of available programs. But the watching still takes place on the same TV-set. With the introduction of the Video on Demand services (VoD) one got the opportunity to watch TV series wherever and wherever one wants. This has triggered new viewing patterns. One is binge-watching, a concept that many are unfamiliar with, even though many actually watch TV in that way. The term means that the consumer watch several episodes of a TV series at a time. Most digital services try, due to financial reasons, to extend the time the viewers spend at the TV, and therefore they develop platforms with features that encourage binge-watching. It is in the interest of the whole community to understand why and how we are persuaded to look longer on series in order to understand our viewing behavior and thereby stay in control. The purpose of our study is to investigate what factors that encourage the most to binge-watching. To answer this we also choose to look into: "What factors in Netflix and Viaplay encourage binge-watching the most?" and "Which external factors encourage binge-watching?". To find answers we took help from 17 media technology students at KTH that daily during a week was asked to logg their viewing habits. We have also conducted semistructured interviews with them to get in-depth knowledge of their use of VoD-services. Our work provides interesting and useful results based on the qualitative and quantitative methods we used, and is a good foundation for future studies of television viewing aimed at better understand the binge-watching phenomena. Our study shows that the autoplay function encourage viewers to continue to watch series. Only five of our study participants could resist this feature. We also conclude that the comfort-level of the viewing environment and the choice of electronic viewing device influence the tendency to marathon view. More than half of our study participants prefer to watch series on a larger screen. Many of them acknowledged that a TV-sized screen and a comfortable couch or bed encouraged binge-watching. Not only technical features encourage binge-watching. Also the time the user can devote to their viewing and the reason for viewing influence it. The study showed that many features in both the studied VoD-services are very similar. The biggest difference between them is that it in Viaplay is possible to pause the autoplay function while you can not do this in Netflix. But none of our participants knew that Viaplay had this feature and we could therefore not draw any conclusions as to whether this difference affected the binge-watching or not.

Bibliography: leaves 378-402. / xviii, 402 leaves : ill. (chiefly col.), maps (chiefly col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Explores the status and nature of interpretation within the Australian whale watching industry, on both a national scale and as it is practiced at three diverse case study sites along the southern coast, and develops strategies which may enable this form of tourism to reach it's highest educative potential / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2000