Ocean for Health: A Transdisciplinary Framework to Accelerate Research on Ocean-Human Health Connections

Abstract

The ocean has an important impact on human health. Observational studies suggest that ocean-related stimuli can improve human health, but there is limited research investigating the underlying mechanistic and epidemiological principles. Research on the interactions between the ocean and human health remains fragmented, leading to a patchy understanding of these complex connections. To structure and advance research on interactions between the ocean and human health, a transdisciplinary framework is proposed comprising of four key components: (a) ocean stimuli originating from the hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and anthroposphere, (b) time, location, and behavior dependent human interaction with these stimuli, (c) individual sensing and processing of ocean stimuli, and (d) health outcomes at individual and population level. In addition to the introduction of this framework that builds on and integrates previous theories, we discuss how its application can promote the protection of marine environments, thereby indirectly safeguarding the mechanisms that underlie ocean-human health connections. The proposed framework makes explicit a transdisciplinary approach of OHH research and contextualizes future studies.