Oceans and Human Health

Opportunities and Impacts

2nd Edition - July 14, 2023

Editors: Lora Fleming, Lota B. Alcantara Creencia, William H. Gerwick, Hong Ching Goh, Matthew O. Gribble, Bruce Maycock, Helena Solo-Gabriele

Hardback ISBN:

9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 5 2 2 7 - 9

eBook ISBN:

9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 5 2 2 8 - 6

Oceans and Human Health: Opportunities and Impacts, Second Edition explores the inextricably interconnected and complex relationship between oceans and humans. Through the lens of… Read more

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Oceans and Human Health: Opportunities and Impacts, Second Edition explores the inextricably interconnected and complex relationship between oceans and humans. Through the lens of the expanding oceans and human health meta-discipline, this work examines the many invaluable ecosystem services offered by oceans as well as the global anthropogenic impacts, and explores the associated risks and benefits to human health. Written and edited by an interdisciplinary team of experts, the book features international perspectives on the resources available to address these benefits and risks, including enhanced research, policy, and community engagement. The book concludes by examining the future of ocean stewardship and how global populations can unite to nurture and promote our life-enhancing relationship with oceans. This is an indispensable resource for students, researchers, communities, and industry specialists in marine sciences, public health, and international policy.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Front cover image caption
Back cover caption photo of Earth as water
Contributors
Editors biographies
Lead editor
Editors
Associate editors
Foreword
Preface
Abbreviations
Chapter 1: Overview of Oceans and Human Health
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
1.1: Introduction
1.2: Key definitions/terms
1.3: Various frameworks
1.4: Brief history of Oceans and Human Health
1.5: Conclusions
1.6: Brief horizon scan
References
Section I: Ocean benefits, opportunities, and resources
Chapter 2: The role of marine protected areas (MPAs) in providing ecosystem services to improve ocean and human health
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
2.1: Introduction and overview
2.2: Disentangling ocean ecosystem services and values
2.3: The role of MPAs to maintain global biodiversity—A tool to manage pathways
2.4: Policy recommendations
2.5: Conclusions
2.6: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 3: Culture and historic value as ways of understanding complex human health-ocean linkages
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
3.1: Introduction
3.2: Quantifying the value of our oceans for human health
3.3: What do we mean by “culture”?
3.4: Looking back to look forward: Historical perspectives
3.5: Ocean as an archive
3.6: Culture and health by the seaside
3.7: Emergent properties of cultures and social-ecological systems
3.8: Culture and governance
3.9: Culture and emerging risk
3.10: Conclusions
References
Chapter 4: Food from the ocean
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
4.1: Introduction
4.2: Food from the ocean
4.3: Climate change and other socio-environmental impacts on seafood availability
4.4: Capture fisheries in the future of aquatic foods
4.5: The role of aquaculture in the future of aquatic foods
4.6: Creating an equitable future
4.7: Conclusions
4.8: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 5: Medicines from the sea
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
Glossary
5.1: Introduction and historical perspective
5.2: Marine organisms: Their use as medicines from ancient history to contemporary medicinal systems
5.3: Sources of marine-derived bioactive compounds
5.4: Traditional approaches to marine natural product discovery
5.5: Current approved medicines from the sea
5.6: Impact of climate change on marine drug discovery
5.7: Bioprospecting and ethical ramifications
5.8: Conclusions and future perspectives
5.9: Brief horizon scan
References
Further reading
Chapter 6: Marine biotechnology: A One Health approach to linking life on land to life underwater
Abstract
Discussion questions
6.1: Introduction: The ocean within us
6.2: Definitions
6.3: Biotechnology from the ocean: A taxonomy and overview of different types of biotechnologies derived from marine species
6.4: Biomedically important species
6.5: Marine areas for biodiscovery: Where to find the potential for biotechnology and why
6.6: Methodologies. Approaches to uncovering marine biotechnologies and translating them for innovation
6.7: Biotechnology for the ocean (and fish)
6.8: Marine biotechnology and One Health
6.9: Building marine biotechnology
6.10: Conclusions
6.11: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 7: Contributions of marine invertebrates to our understanding of human health and disease
Abstract
Acknowledgment
Discussion questions
Glossary
7.1: Introduction
7.2: Landmark discoveries in marine invertebrates
7.3: Additional contributions of marine invertebrates to (human) biology
7.4: Body plans and regeneration
7.5: Conclusions
7.6: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 8: Contact with marine blue spaces for human health and well-being
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
8.1: Introduction
8.2: Definitions
8.3: Exposure to marine blue spaces
8.4: Pathways linking marine blue spaces to health
8.5: Exploring the links between blue spaces and health outcomes
8.6: Factors to be considered when exploring blue spaces vs health relationships
8.7: Marine blue spaces as a medical tool
8.8: Actions to secure and promote blue health
8.9: Conclusions
8.10: Brief horizon scan
References
Section II: Ocean risks and negative human impacts
Chapter 9: Ocean ecosystem degradation and human populations
Abstract
Discussion questions
9.1: Introduction
9.2: Human impacts on marine and coastal environments
9.3: Marine ecosystem services and human health
9.4: Policy options to counter ocean degradation
9.5: Conclusions
9.6: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 10: Climate change and the ocean
Abstract
Discussion questions
10.1: Introduction
10.2: Sea level rise
10.3: Increased frequency and magnitude of storm events
10.4: Ocean acidification
10.5: Changes in salinity
10.6: Ocean warming and marine heatwaves
10.7: The human health consequences of changes to multiple pathways and multiple stressors
10.8: The importance of context
10.9: Mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change
10.10: Conclusions
10.11: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 11: Harmful algal blooms cause ocean illnesses affecting human health
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
11.1: Introduction
11.2: Harmful algal blooms: Definitions and impacts
11.3: Environmental factors driving HABs
11.4: Identified anthropogenic causes of HAB
11.5: Limiting human exposure to HABs: Major needs
11.6: Conclusions
11.7: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 12: Emerging microbial contaminants in the ocean
Abstract
Discussion questions
12.1: Introduction
12.2: Sources of microbial contaminants
12.3: Aquaculture
12.4: Marine plastics
12.5: Methods for pathogen and AMR detection
12.6: Modeling the fate and transport of pathogens and/or indicators
12.7: Implications of climate change on microbial water quality
12.8: Conclusions and future outlook
12.9: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 13: Chemical pollution and the ocean
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
13.1: Introduction
13.2: Mechanisms of chemical transport
13.3: Case examples of ocean chemicals
13.4: Influence of climate change on ocean chemicals in the Arctic
13.5: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 14: Plastic pollution in the Global South: Exploring social, behavioral, and structural factors
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
14.1: Introduction
14.2: Plastic pollution in the Global South
14.3: Structural and political factors: The example of waste management in Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa
14.4: Social and behavioral factors in plastic pollution
14.5: Plastic, human health, and well-being
14.6: Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge
14.7: Efforts of Global South nations in addressing plastic pollution
14.8: Emerging opportunities and risks regarding individual and collective behavior change
14.9: Conclusions
14.10: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 15: Radiation and the ocean
Abstract
Discussion questions
15.1: Introduction
15.2: Primer on radiation and radioactivity
15.3: Atomic bombs, nuclear power, and nuclear waste
15.4: Radionuclide movement through the environment
15.5: Radionuclides in ecosystems
15.6: Conclusions
15.7: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 16: Estimating the impact of oceans on human health: The value of taking a burden of disease approach
Abstract
Acknowledgment
Discussion questions
16.1: Introduction
16.2: The burden of disease approach
16.3: Why perform a burden of disease assessment?
16.4: Common areas of difficulty and criticisms of burden studies
16.5: How could a burden of disease assessment be done for the coasts, seas, and oceans?
16.6: Revealing the influence of the environment using burden of disease studies
16.7: Potential approaches to a burden of disease study of oceans and requirements
16.8: Effects of oceans on health that could be included in a burden study
16.9: Applying the outputs of an oceans burden of disease study in health policy and practice
16.10: Conclusions
16.11: Brief horizon scan
References
Section III: Other aspects
Chapter 17: The people of the seas and the seas of the people
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
17.1: Introduction
17.2: Background: Place, health, and well-being
17.3: Nature and culture
17.4: Case studies from around the world
17.5: The meanings of the seas
17.6: Environment and livelihood
17.7: Threats and challenges to places in coastal and marine context
17.8: Conclusions
17.9: Brief horizon scan: The importance of place-based approach for sustainability
References
Chapter 18: Ocean sectors: Case studies of human activity in the Ocean-based economy
Abstract
Discussion questions
18.1: Definitions
18.2: Introduction
18.3: The fishing sector: Major trends and important species
18.4: The aquaculture sector: Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon
18.5: The cruise industry sector: An unhealthy and unstainable activity of the Blue Economy
18.6: The healthcare sector and the Ocean: Why should we care?
18.7: The energy sector: Offshore wind benefits and trade-offs
18.8: The mineral extraction sector: The role of deep-sea mining in our sustainable society
18.9: Next steps toward the Blue Economy
18.10: Brief horizon scan
References
Section IV: Necessary tools
Chapter 19: Observing and monitoring the ocean
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
19.1: Introduction
19.2: Observing and monitoring physical characteristics of the ocean
19.3: Observing and monitoring plastic waste in the ocean
19.4: Observing and monitoring marine biodiversity
19.5: Observing and monitoring marine fisheries
19.6: Observing and monitoring harmful algal blooms
19.7: Observing and monitoring naturally occurring infectious microbes (Vibrios)
19.8: Observing and monitoring marine mammals
19.9: Coastal human health observing system: A vision for the future
19.10: Conclusions
19.11: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 20: Monitoring and measuring human health and well-being
Abstract
Discussion questions
20.1: Introduction
20.2: Measuring disease: Epidemiology primer
20.3: Applying epidemiology to oceans and human health
20.4: Measuring the impact of natural disasters on human health
20.5: Risk assessments to measure the impacts of coastal community activities on human health
20.6: Surveillance
20.7: Prevention
20.8: Emerging methods to explore oceans and health
20.9: Databases for public health research
20.10: Animal sentinels
20.11: Measuring human well-being
20.12: Conclusions
20.13: Brief horizon scan
References
Chapter 21: Ocean law, policies, and regulation
Abstract
Acknowledgment
Discussion questions
21.1: Introduction
21.2: The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
21.3: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
21.4: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
21.5: The Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA)
21.6: The International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW)
21.7: The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
21.8: Intergovernmental conference on marine biological diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ)
21.9: Conclusions—Looking ahead to a pandemic preparedness treaty
21.10: Brief horizon scan: Could the ocean one day have personhood?
References
Chapter 22: Community engagement for ocean and human health
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
22.1: Introduction
22.2: Promotion of human health via community engagement, environmental protection, and sustainable development
22.3: Defining and understanding coastal communities
22.4: Defining community engagement
22.5: The evolution of community engagement frameworks toward ocean and human health
22.6: Coastal community engagement within the ocean and human health framework
22.7: Why engage with communities for ocean and human health
22.8: The GCRF blue communities program
22.9: Case studies that provide lessons learned, hope, inspiration, and examples of genuine engagement
22.10: Considerations for community engagement: lessons learned and case studies
22.11: Conclusions
22.12: Brief horizon scan
References
Section V: Future scanning and innovations
Chapter 23: Horizon scan of oceans and human health
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
23.1: What is horizon scanning? Why is it important?
23.2: Brief methods, approaches, and history
23.3: Relevant horizon scanning examples
23.4: Horizon scanning within oceans and human health?
23.5: Some issues/challenges
23.6: An initial start to update the horizon scans in oceans and human health
23.7: Conclusions
23.8: Brief horizon scan
References
Section VI: Conclusions and recommendations
Chapter 24: Oceans and human health stewardship, literacy, and citizenship
Abstract
Acknowledgments
Discussion questions
24.1: Introduction
24.2: Ocean governance
24.3: Ocean stewardship
24.4: Ocean literacy and citizenship
24.5: Ocean and human health citizenship in action
24.6: Conclusions
24.7: Brief horizon scan
References
List of Figures and Tables
List of figures
List of tables
Index

Lora Fleming

Lora E. Fleming is a physician and epidemiologist with expertise in the environment and human health; she is based at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health [www.ecehh.org] (University of Exeter Medical School). She is involved in research, training and policy activities in the new transdisciplinary area of Oceans and Human Health. She participated as a Co Editor in the first edition of Oceans and Human Health: Risks and Remedies from the Seas (2008), in Seas, Society and Wellbeing (2011), and in the European Marine Board Oceans and Human Health White Paper (2014). She co-Directed the NSF NIEHS Oceans and Human Health Center at the University of Miami; and she received the Oceans and Human Awards from the Edouard Delcroix Foundation (2014) and the IOC Bruun Award (2015). Prof Fleming led the H2020 funded Projects: BlueHealth (https://bluehealth2020.eu) to explore the connections between blue environments and human health; and Seas, Oceans and Public Health in Europe (SOPHIE) (https://sophie2020.eu) to create a strategic research agenda for Ocean and Human Health in Europe and beyond; and participated in the UKRI GCRF Blue Communities Project (https://www.ecehh.org/research/blue-communities/). Professor Fleming is currently collaborating to establish Healthcare Ocean (https://www.nhsocean.org), and is involved in issues around international Blue Justice and other aspects of international oceans and human health.

Affiliations and expertise

European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, Cornwall, UK

Lota B. Alcantara Creencia

Lota Alcantara Creencia is a fisheries technologist whose research focuses on coastal mariculture technologies, fisheries resources management, and welfare of coastal communities. She is based at the College of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences of the Western Philippines University (Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines). Most of her research works in the field of Oceans and Human Health have centered on ecosystem services in coastal areas, governance of marine protected areas, and health and well-being of coastal communities through the UKRI GCRF Blue Communities Project (https://www.blue-communities.org/).

Affiliations and expertise

College of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Western Philippines University, Puerto Princesa City, Philippines

William H. Gerwick

William Gerwick has joint appointments at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego. His research focuses on the bioactive natural products of marine algae and cyanobacteria, their application in biomedicine, and their biosynthesis using various molecular biology and genomic approaches. He has also been involved in developing new methods for the structure elucidation of complex natural products, and this has recently involved development of artificial intelligence methods applied to NMR spectroscopy. His laboratory is also involved in the chemical synthesis of analogs of natural products his group has discovered and that have promising antiparasitic activity. He participated as a Co-Editor and chapter author in the first edition of Oceans and Human Health: Risks and Remedies from the Seas (2008). He has served as president of the American Society of Pharmacognosy, chaired and co-chaired several major research conferences, and was associate editor of the Journal of Natural Products Chemistry for several years. He recently served as Director of the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine at Scripps Oceanography. He is an elected Fellow of the American Society of Pharmacognosy and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). His research group has published over 500 research papers and holds more than 25 patents, and he has trained approximately 100 PhD and postdoctoral scholars in his 40-year career in the natural products sciences.

Affiliations and expertise

Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA

Hong Ching Goh

Hong Ching Goh is an Associate Professor at the Department Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya. Currently, she also serves as the Chair of the Social Advancement and Happiness Research Cluster in the university. Hong Ching is a corporate town planner registered with the Malaysia Board of Town Planners, an alumna of DAAD and Global Young Academy, a past recipient of the MIT-UTM Malaysian Sustainable Cities program Fellowship, and a fellow of the ASEAN Science Leadership Program. Her research spans across a wide spectrum of disciplines for the past 25 years, evolving from urban development control to tourism planning in natural areas and later, macro scale urban planning focusing on resource governance and sustainable cities development with a great extent associated with community well-beings and the socio (economic)-ecological nexus in coastal regions. She also continues to explore the dynamics of working with a wide range of collaborators for impactful research. While her research has a broad application in urbanized settings and where natural resources are found, her passion has always been with Sabah in Borneo Island. Her recent research projects include the UKRI GCRF Blue Communities program and Student Empowerment in Climate Actions (SECA), both take place in the northern coastal regions of Sabah (Malaysia).

Affiliations and expertise

Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Matthew O. Gribble

Matthew O. Gribble is an environmental epidemiologist whose research focuses on climate change impacts on environmental exposures, and environmental health disparities within the United States and internationally. His primary appointment is in the Department of Epidemiology of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health (Birmingham, AL USA) where he teaches environmental epidemiology methods to graduate students. He also holds adjunct appointments at Emory University (Atlanta, GA USA) and the University of Exeter (Truro, United Kingdom). Much of his research in the Oceans and Human Health space focuses on the risk-benefit balance of salubrious and toxic chemicals in seafood, although he has also contributed to research on other environmental epidemiology topics. He has contributed statistical analysis support to ecotoxicology and wildlife biomonitoring studies concerning chemical exposures and effects in marine animals. He serves on the United States National Harmful Algal Blooms Committee and has provided related expert service to the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).

Affiliations and expertise

University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Bruce Maycock

Bruce Maycock specializes in the design, delivery and evaluation of community interventions (topic areas have included infant health and breastfeeding, prevention of alcohol and drug related harms, HIV prevention and control, mental health promotion and prevention of infectious disease). He was a former Dean of Public Health at Curtin University (Australia) and the Secretary General of Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH), representing over 84 regional universities. While Secretary General, he championed the area of climate change, and oceans and human health ensuring that it became a priority area for APACPH. He is currently an Honorary Professor with the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter Medical School (Cornwall, UK), working in the areas of oceans and public health.

Affiliations and expertise

Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium of Public Health, Fremantle, Australia

Helena Solo-Gabriele

Helena Solo-Gabriele is an environmental engineer whose research focuses on studies that relate the environment to human health; her primary faculty appointment at the University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL USA) is in the Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering. At the University, she teaches courses in environmental measurements, water quality, water and wastewater treatment, and in environmental engineering microbiology. Much of her research focuses on understanding the fate and transport of microbes in the coastal zone where she has teamed up with epidemiologists to evaluate human health impacts from bathing and beach sand contact. She participated as a Co-Editor in the first edition of Oceans and Human Health: Risks and Remedies from the Seas (2008). She was a co-Principal Investigator of the NSF NIEHS Oceans and Human Health Center directed by Professors Fleming and Smith at the University of Miami and Principal Investigator of the Beach Exposure and Child Health Study which aimed to evaluate children’s exposure to chemical and microbial contaminants during beach play activities. Professor Solo-Gabriele continues to conduct research studies evaluating relationships between microbes in the environment and human health. Most recently her attention has turned to focusing on using wastewater to assess illness rates in communities, in response to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. She hopes to use knowledge gained through this unprecedented pandemic to better understand pathogens in the nearshore environment.

Affiliations and expertise

Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States