Valuing unfamiliar Mediterranean deep-sea ecosystems using visual Q-methodology

Monetary valuation of non-market environmental goods and services such as marine ecosystems is a difficult task, usually approached by stated preference methods. Valuation results are often unstable since preferences for unfamiliar, often highly abstract and complex environmental goods depend on the level of previous knowledge of the participant stakeholders and the information provided to them. In this paper, Q methodology has been applied to explore subjective perspectives on Mediterranean deep-sea, which is among the least explored environment in the world. The participant sample consisted in eight Ph.D. students, half of which with a Marine Life Sciences degree. They were asked to perform a Q sorting experiment, and rank a Q sample of thirty-six underwater photographs of the marine wildlife, landscapes, and ecosystems in the Mediterranean deep sea. Photographs were sorted by each topic according to a subjective priority relative to: a) a personal overall view; b) their perception of the potential interest for fishermen; and c) as if they were fishermen. The study revealed three distinct discourses on the subjective importance of deep-sea ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea: “Noah's Ark Fans”, “Ecosystem Functions Supporters” and “Deep Coral Lovers”. Data analysis showed that the main differences between factors could be related to the experience and the cultural background of the participants. This study improved our knowledge about individuals’ perceptions on Mediterranean deep-sea ecosystems and represents a preliminary step for their monetary valuation.