Our health is inextricably linked to the health of the ocean. Half of the oxygen The gas we breathe comes from tiny plankton living in the sea, and our activities on land, irrespective of how removed from the coast we live, affect our waters in some ways – from plastic waste and sewage pollution to the fish we eat.
That’s why we launched Vitamin Sea, an exciting collaboration between The Conversation’s environment and health departments.
Anna Turns, Senior Environment Editor
Seven years agomy daughter and I actually have been campaigning for businesses in our home town on the south Devon coast to stop using single-use plastics.
For two years, we organized beach clean-ups and faculty assemblies, convinced 60 restaurants, hotels and shops to switch to reusable products, participated in live TV interviews and led a two-day, 22-mile expedition paddle board trip collect litter along every stream in the Salcombe Estuary.
I’m sure we wouldn’t hassle with such extreme measures if we didn’t have already got a strong sense of connection to this beautiful tidal estuary and a strong need to protect it from litter and pollution. But having grown up in landlocked Bedfordshire, I ponder where that comes from.
The Science of blue health – the idea that being near, on, or in water is sweet for our physical and mental health – is comparatively well-established. Water includes all the pieces from ornamental fountains in city centers to rivers, lakes, dungeons, and streams, all of which eventually flow to the ocean.
The Vitamin Sea series highlights new research that shows how our interactions with the sea can impact how we protect marine habitats – and that our relationship with the sea is reciprocal, irrespective of where we live.
Katie Edwards, Editor-in-Chief, Health
I grew up in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, a northern post-industrial town with high levels of poverty and deprivation. Visits to the seaside at Skegness, Scarborough and Blackpool were annual festive events – the sea and its creatures seemed a world away from on a regular basis life.
So what does blue health mean for those living inland? How can people living in urban environments, a lot of whom have pressing social issues in their very own communities, contribute to marine health? How can we, living miles from the coast, develop a relationship with the sea and experience its advantages?
Our experts explain how our decisions and actions might be good or bad for the marine environment – from the sunscreen we slather on in the middle of summer, to the wetsuits we wear when swimming, the products we pour down the drain and the food we eat.
Scientists explain the social science behind the healing power of surf therapy and how they measure the health advantages in blue. Scientists make clear why participating in a beach cleanup is definitely restorative for mental health.
Let’s dive into this topic.