Innovative Synergy of Circular Economy and Environmental Literacy: Transforming Eco-Tourism for Marine Conservation and Ecosystem Restoration

This study investigates the effects of Circular Economy-Based Eco-Tourism (CEBE) and Environmental Literacy on marine conservation and marine ecosystem resilience, mediated by Plastic Pollution Reduction (PPR) and Ecosystem Restoration (ER, in coastal communities of Banten, Indonesia. The study is motivated by the persistent gap between eco-tourism initiatives and measurable ecological outcomes, particularly the limited integration of circular economy practices and environmental literacy in addressing plastic pollution and ecosystem restoration simultaneously. Using survey data from 341 respondents and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the results indicate that both CEBE and EL positively influence PPR and ER, which in turn contribute to marine conservation. Marine conservation is strongly associated with enhanced marine ecosystem resilience, highlighting the interconnectedness of ecological, social, and economic dimensions. Mediation analysis revealed that some indirect pathways were not significant: PPR did not mediate the effects of CEBE or EL on marine conservation, and ER did not mediate the effect of EL. These findings suggest that individual behaviors alone may not guarantee ecosystem-level improvements without supportive policies, sustained community engagement, and institutional mechanisms. Effect sizes show that EL has a large influence on PPR, while CEBE and ER exhibit moderate effects. High R² values indicate substantial explanatory power but may reflect limitations inherent in self-reported, cross-sectional data. This study offers three main contributions: (1) a theoretical contribution by integrating CEBE with environmental literacy within a socio-ecological resilience framework; (2) a methodological contribution by modeling plastic pollution reduction and ecosystem restoration as parallel mediators using PLS-SEM; and (3) a practical contribution by identifying multi-level interventions linking community behavior, conservation practices, and ecosystem resilience. Limitations include potential self-report bias, context specificity, and cross-sectional design, which constrain causal interpretation. Future studies employing longitudinal or experimental designs are recommended to validate and extend these findings.