Photographic Monitoring As an Interdisciplinary Tool to Confront Objectified and Perceived Levels of Use within Protected Natural Areas: Methodology and Deontology

This communication proposes a reflexive presentation of an interdisciplinary case study crossing sociology and oceanography. The recent creation of the National Park of the Calanques (April 2012) has raised debates regarding the increasing impact of leisure massification on biodiversity conservation. In this context, our research program has developed innovating tools to confront objectified levels of use and perceived levels of use on the one hand, and on the other has evaluated the pressure and the impact of anchored boats on a protected sea grass, Posidonia oceanica and gathered the social discourses of users regarding their awareness about biodiversity conservation and their acceptance about related policies. To do so, were associated a qualitative (44 interviews) and a quantitative (133 questionnaires) field surveys and a one year photographic monitoring focusing on two hot spots in terms of overuse and conservation: The Sormiou bay and the Frioul island. The results reveal a gap between objectified and perceived levels of use, due to cognitive processes, socioeconomic and cultural factors (habitus effect and territorial identity). The photographic monitoring and the georeferencing of the sociological samples reveal a significant scale effect on both objectified and perceived use. This communication focuses on the interests and limits of the photographic monitoring as in interdisciplinary tool. The methodological implementation of the monitoring as well as its deontological implications will be discussed.