Oceans and Human Health and the New Blue Economy

Abstract The field of Oceans and Human Health (OHH) is a “metadiscipline,” combining elements of oceanography, marine biology, ecology, biomedical science, environmental health science, medicine, public health, social sciences, economics, and communication science and fostering collaborations among scientists from these and other disciplines as well as with public health professionals, natural resource managers, and land use planners. Initially, OHH programs focused primarily on illnesses associated with exposure to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters, such as those caused by harmful algal blooms (HABs) and Vibrio bacteria, as well as a few health benefits including potential new pharmaceuticals. More recently, OHH programs have expanded to encompass health effects from other freshwater bodies and reported health-promoting effects of “blue” spaces (coastal areas, rivers, or landscapes involving water features). Today’s OHH centers follow community participatory approaches to research, and results are incorporated into products and tools to increase understanding of health risks and benefits associated with aquatic environments and to communicate this information in ways that protect and enhance public health. This chapter explores OHH topics including forecasting of HABs and Vibrios, the wicked problem of plastics in the marine environment, aquaculture as a source of sustainable seafood, potential for growth of wellness tourism, environmental justice, and development of a human health observing system. Highlighted throughout the chapter are some of the myriad opportunities for OHH programs to contribute to the new blue economy and vice versa through data streams, information products and services, new and developing technologies, and workforce development.