Narratives for Oceans and Health

Trips to the beach have been a popular past time around the world for centuries. But it’s more than childhood memories, sunshine and the sea breeze that have been linked to our health and wellbeing. We rely on our seas and oceans to provide food and medication too.

To ensure they can provide for future generations, collaboration is vital to ensuring they are carefully managed and protected.

We have created unique Oceans and Human Health narratives to highlight some of the impacts, knowledge gaps and innovative solutions we’ve uncovered.

Take-home messages: Oceans and Health

1. Shape opportunities through local context and communities. Although trends are often global, their local impacts, values and ambitions can vary between regions. Involving local communities in decision making can result in more effective actions.
2. Include health in coastal and marine policy plans. In general, the importance of the environment to public health is understood. But more scientific evidence is needed about the local and global impacts of design, ecological status and use of marine areas on public health.
3. Use an intersectoral and interdisciplinary approach to benefit health. Policymaking should follow a joined-up approach and involve a wide range of policy representatives to manage demographic changes to public health, water governance, biodiversity, social inequalities and economic development.

What happens next?

The narrative feeds into the Strategic Research Agenda and can be used (with the underlying reports) to support a range of local, regional and international activities linked to Oceans and Human Health.

Local stakeholder discussions on future trends related to ocean and human health.