Abstract
As the Great Barrier Reef (GBR, the Reef) faces unprecedented threats, reducing anthropogenic pressures and fostering stewardship within coastal communities are among the strategic priorities identified in the Australian and Queensland Government’s Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan. While research indicates that Australians have limited awareness of reef stewardship actions, few studies have specifically examined patterns and enablers of stewardship in reef communities. To address this gap, we surveyed residents of the GBR region ( n = 2317) to examine (i) the types and prevalence of Reef stewardship actions amongst Reef residents (ii) the role of self-efficacy (i.e. an individual’s confidence in their own ability to achieve an outcome) in shaping stewardship behaviour on the GBR and (iii) factors that influence self-efficacy in relation to Reef-protection. We found that many residents report they perform stewardship actions related to pollution, like beach cleanups, with few respondents identifying actions related to climate mitigation. Analysis examining how factors shape stewardship and self-efficacy revealed a complex pattern of findings. On one hand, factors such as feeling a moral obligation to act supported stewardship engagement and self-efficacy. In contrast, being satisfied with reef management was associated with lower rates of stewardship and self-efficacy. These findings suggest a potential trade-off in perceptions of personal and institutional responsibility for action, and highlight the need promote narratives of shared responsibility when promoting stewardship.