Enhancing Human Health and Wellbeing through Sustainably and Equitably Unlocking a Healthy Ocean's Potential

• Published in: Annals of global health Vol. 90; no. 1; p. 41
• Main Authors: Fleming, Lora E, Landrigan, Philip J, Ashford, Oliver S, Whitman, Ella M, Swift, Amy, Gerwick, William H, Heymans, Johanna J, Hicks, Christina C, Morrissey, Karyn, White, Mathew P, Alcantara-Creencia, Lota, Alexander, Karen A, Astell-Burt, Thomas, Berlinck, Roberto G S, Cohen, Philippa J, Hixson, Richard, Islam, Mohammad Mahmudul, Iwasaki, Arihiro, Praptiwi, Radisti A, Raps, Hervé, Remy, Jan Yves, Sowman, Georgina, Ternon, Eva, Thiele, Torsten, Thilsted, Shakuntala H, Uku, Jacqueline, Ockenden, Stephanie, Kumar, Pushpam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Ubiquity Press 01-01-2024
• Subjects: Algae; Biodiversity; Biodiversity loss; Biotechnology; blue economy; blue health; Climate Change; Coasts; Conservation of Natural Resources; Emissions; Employment; environmental justice; equity; Fisheries; Food security; Health care; Health Care Sector; Human Rights; Humans; Infectious diseases; Malnutrition; Marine pollution; marine protected areas (mpas); Mental health; natural products; Nutrients; Oceans and Seas; seafood; Social Justice; Sustainable Development; Treaties; Well being; blue health; seafood; natural products; biotechnology; biodiversity; marine protected areas (MPAs); equity; blue economy; environmental justice
• ISSN: 2214-9996; 2214-9996
• DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4471

A healthy ocean is essential for human health, and yet the links between the ocean and human health are often overlooked. By providing new medicines, technologies, energy, foods, recreation, and inspiration, the ocean has the potential to enhance human health and wellbeing. However, climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and inequity threaten both ocean and human health. Sustainable realisation of the ocean's health benefits will require overcoming these challenges through equitable partnerships, enforcement of laws and treaties, robust monitoring, and use of metrics that assess both the ocean's natural capital and human wellbeing. Achieving this will require an explicit focus on human rights, equity, sustainability, and social justice. In addition to highlighting the potential unique role of the healthcare sector, we offer science-based recommendations to protect both ocean health and human health, and we highlight the unique potential of the healthcare sector tolead this effort.