Perceptions of environmental change over more than six decades in two groups of people interacting with the environment of Port Phillip Bay, Australia

Abstract

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, Austra..