The marine environment is affected by climate change in many ways but it is also affected by the separate problem of ocean acidification (OA). Anthropogenic carbon dioxide that is absorbed by the ocean causes changes in ocean chemistry including a reduction in pH. Fisheries and shellfish industries, which are vital livelihoods for some communities have already been affected by OA. As there has been little research conducted to examine public risk perceptions of this risk, we aimed to explore this through a mental models approach (Morgan et al. 2002) and will present work from the third phase of this project. In the first two phases, we developed expert and public mental models of risk perceptions towards OA and compared these models to highlight areas of agreement, important knowledge gaps, and key misunderstandings. In the public sample we found low awareness of this risk with acid rain, chemical waste and pollution frequently believed to be the main cause of OA. However, many respondents did recognise that it would impact on numerous organisms and knock-on to marine ecosystems. Additionally, many perceived OA as a highly negative issue despite their unfamiliarity with this risk issue.
We will present survey data from the UK population (N=954), which was conducted to determine if knowledge and beliefs identified in the interviews could be found on a wider scale. The survey also explored a range of psychological factors including concern, place attachment, and environmental identity (Whitmarsh & O'Neill, 2010). Part of the regression analyses found that more knowledgeable participants had stronger environmental identities, were more concerned about OA and climate change, and also felt more negative about OA as expected. This was a mental models approach exploring knowledge of OA, however, it is clear that affect (Slovic, 2010) and identity were important factors and should not be neglected in mental models work, particularly for unfamiliar risk issues. As unfamiliar and complex risks such as OA are becoming more prevalent and must be successfully communicated in a world full of information, it is important to consider how OA is perceived by the public and can inform policy decisions in future.