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It is increasingly evident that the health of our coasts, seas and oceans is intertwined with the health and wellbeing of humans, plants and animals. For years, the ocean has been used as a means of transportation and recreation, and as a source of food and raw materials. More recently, the seas have been exploited to generate renewable energy.
“We humans have direct negative impacts on our global ocean through pollution, development and industry, yet at the same time our health and wellbeing depend on a healthy ocean,” notes Lora Fleming, a professor at the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health in the United Kingdom, coordinator of the EU-funded SOPHIE project.
“We do not yet fully understand all of these complex links. However, it is critical that we expand our understanding if we want to improve how we coexist sustainably with our marine world.”
It’s all connected
The SOPHIE project was launched in 2017 to better understand these interconnections, and to build new research capabilities for this emerging scientific discipline of oceans and human health. From the outset, the project highlighted three critical issues: the need for sustainable seafood; the benefits to physical and mental health through interactions with healthy blue spaces that are sustainably managed; and the importance of marine biodiversity to medical and biotech research.
“To encourage more work in these areas, we need transdisciplinary collaborations between researchers and stakeholders, including affected communities,” says Fleming. “Transdisciplinary training will also be necessary to create the next generation of engaged and involved researchers.”
The project has done its part by bringing together marine and environmental scientists with medical and social scientists as well as public health experts. An Oceans and Human Health Network was created, through the social media platform LinkedIn, to facilitate knowledge sharing between interested parties. “We also piloted training with blue tourism operators to combine citizen science and awareness of health and wellbeing, as part of a new blue tourism approach,” adds Fleming.
A citizen-based survey was carried out to better understand public perceptions of how marine issues affect human health and wellbeing. “We managed to speak to over 14 000 stakeholders from across Europe and beyond, to help us better understand how they see the links between ocean and human health,” explains Fleming.
Towards sustainable oceans
A key success of the SOPHIE project has been the creation of a network of people and organisations interested in the links between oceans and human health. This will facilitate further collaborative research into understanding the complex and critical relationship between humans and the ocean.
Furthermore, a great deal of project information is now readily available online, which can help to inspire experts and citizens alike. This includes the results of the citizen survey, as well as various interactive maps. For example, the project mapped innovation activities that combine marine conservation with human health and wellbeing across Europe and beyond.
Key project findings were brought together in a Strategic Research Agenda for Oceans and Human Health for Europe. This lays out a roadmap for the work ahead and will likely be a key tool to help direct future research endeavours. “This roadmap is SOPHIE’s legacy and will advance this field across Europe and the world,” says Fleming.
Taken together, the various elements of SOPHIE will help to consolidate ocean and human health as a growing global academic discipline and bring to light issues that have huge significance to the future of our planet. “We hope that the groundwork we have laid will be used to inspire future research funding opportunities,” adds Fleming. “We also hope that our collaborations across diverse disciplines will inspire people from different backgrounds to take action.”