“I know it when I see it”: Identifying ocean wilderness using a photo-based survey approach

“Wilderness” is identified and defined, in large part, as places perceived by people as possessing characteristic qualities and attributes such as remoteness, providing opportunities for solitude, and where the influence of man is not readily apparent. It has been suggested that “wilderness is what people think it is.” To better understand how this idea of wilderness can be most appropriately applied to ocean and coastal waters, a photo-based online survey was conducted, targeting a sample of protected area resource managers and scientists. The survey results suggested that the respondents overwhelmingly and strongly perceived coastal waters, and particularly waters adjacent to designated coastal wilderness areas, as “wilderness.” Offshore areas were also perceived as possessing value as potential wilderness, but somewhat less often than places located near the coast.