Priorities and overarching recommendations

The following main priorities and overarching recommendations emerge from this Strategic Research Agenda in relation to research:

• A formal transdisciplinary forum and/or platform should be established to encourage collaboration between researchers from all OHH-relevant fields, building on the community established within this Project;
• The research community should develop best practice guidance on collaboration with stakeholders and citizens in relation to OHH research;
• Systematic reviews and longitudinal studies should be conducted to better understand the state-of-the-art in OHH research, and to identify gaps in understanding linkages;
• The benefits of designated marine protected areas (MPAs) – to human as well as ocean health –should be demonstrated;
• Inter- and transdisciplinary training and education programmes should be developed at different academic levels to support the development of OHH;
• Appropriate mechanisms for youth contribution and engagement should be established;
• Policy advice should be provided regarding the additional data collection and monitoring needs for both marine and health parameters to support the understanding of interactions and to develop a body of evidence to demonstrate these interactions. It should also consider issues of accessibility and usability of existing data and monitoring systems, and propose relevant indicators and indices.

Some more general recommendations also emerge:

• A movement is needed within healthcare towards focusing on prevention rather than cure;
• Awareness and consideration of inequalities that inevitably exist and arise should be highlighted as part of all decision-making processes;
• A culture of care that will support the implementation of OHH and sustainable use of wider ocean and coastal ecosystems should be created;
• Ultimately, health (as proposed in the Health in all Policies (HiAP) concept), sustainability and environmental considerations should be present in all policies.