This research develops a conceptual framework for telling visual stories about science using short-format videos, termed SciCommercial videos, that draw upon marketing communication. The framework is illustrated by an exemplar, the Good Whale Watching video, which is explained using a visual rhetoric keyframe analysis. Finally, the effectiveness of the video is evaluated as a science communication tool using an empirical online survey with 1698 respondents. The results highlight the benefits of using video for storytelling about science by using our framework formula, modified from marketing practices, to produce videos that are Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Science Storytelling (SUCCESS).

Whale watching around the world has experienced explosive growth, driven largely by environmental marketing that presents it as a green alternative to whaling, leading to widespread questions of sustainability. The failure of sustainability is, in part, due to poor implementation of recommendations from scientific impact assessments, ineffective science communication about the negative impacts of whale watching on whale populations, and limited collaboration between whale watching operators, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that promote whale watching, and the scientists that measure the impacts of whale watching. To promote sustainable whale watching it is vital to have these critical stakeholders present a coherent and consistent message to the public on what constitutes sustainable whale watching. Here, we present the findings of research focus groups with Science, NGO and Industry stakeholders to distil relevant science communication and whale watching issues. Theoretically informed by the dominant models of science communication, we present the results of two expert focus groups (N = 19), and subsequent thematic analysis to emphasize stakeholder perspectives and collaborative science communication intervention strategies. The findings highlight the potential role of participatory approaches to science communication to increase multi-stakeholder collaboration and advance interests in sustainable whale watching.

Citizen science projects, which entail scientific work undertaken by members of the public, have increased substantially over the last three decades. However, the credibility of such science has been questioned, especially with respect to its prospects for producing peer-reviewed publications, the principal means by which science is communicated and validated. We conducted a meta-analysis of 895 citizen science projects launched between 1890 and 2018. Three-quarters (674) did not produce a single peer-reviewed paper. The remaining 221 projects produced 2075 publications, although just five projects accounted for nearly half the publications. The average time from project launch to first publication was 9.15 years. Projects in health and medicine and astronomy were most likely to produce publications. Projects in biology (65.8% of all projects), computer science, and social sciences were least likely to publish their results. In conclusion, the “science” element of most citizen science projects is largely irrelevant as it is never validated or communicated. We propose reclassifying citizen science projects into two types: (i) Citizen Science, where the focus is on science, and participants essentially function as sampling devices; and (ii) Citizen Engagement, where the value lies more in citizen engagement than it does in citizen science.

Destination managers frequently describe strategies, plans, or projects in destinations as part of an overall commitment to sustainable development or sustainability in the destination. The meaning of the term sustainability, however, is highly contested in both academia and practice, and it is not at all clear what destination managers mean when they claim to act in the interests of sustainable tourism. This paper assesses the concept of sustainability and its operationalisation by destination managers at the regional destination level. Our international, comparative study examines two destination regions that emphasise nature-based tourism, the Tyrolean Oberland, Austria, and the South Island of New Zealand. Twenty-two high-ranking destination managers representing 20 destinations were interviewed. We demonstrate how colloquial, academic, and applied interpretations of sustainability are tangled and intertwined in day-to-day destination management. The types of destination management interventions that are described as sustainable and the extent to which the economic component of sustainability is prioritised vary strongly across destinations and destination regions. The study results demonstrate that in order to achieve sustainability in destinations, stakeholders need to develop a shared understanding of what constitutes sustainable destination development, and how it can be meaningfully operationalised.

This study focuses on the role of science communication for sustainable whale watching management. It uses a pragmatic mixed-method approach to present a critical analysis of the potential role of science communication videos to manage participant expectations. Drawing on 30 years of science research on whale watching the empirical study produces an original science communication video. The video was then tested empirically (N?=?1698) employing an experimental Test and Control group design. The results highlight that science communication videos can serve as educational management tools for sustainable tourism, and influence people towards responsible whale watching behavior. Furthermore, the results are a clarion call to increase visual research methods in science communication studies in response to our rapidly changing media-environment.