Human health ‘intricately linked’ to ocean health

In the paper, which appears in the American Journal of Public Health, the authors say that restoring the health of oceans should not just be the priority of marine scientists but also the medical community and the public more broadly.

Ocean health

The ocean covers 71% of the Earth’s surface and is crucial not only for environmental health but also for the health of humans.

However, human actions have significantly damaged the health of the world’s ocean. The issues that it currently faces include:

• marine pollution
• ocean acidification
• overfishing
• rises in sea level

According to the researchers behind the present article, as well as damaging the health of the world’s ocean, these issues also negatively impact human health.

Human health

The researchers highlight that around the world, swimming in polluted seas is linked with over 250 million cases of respiratory illness and gastroenteritis each year.

Furthermore, Arctic indigenous peoples have become exposed to a build-up of organic pollutants. Coastal communities are exposed to indirect damage to their health when fish stocks collapse, restricting access to food and severely reducing livelihoods.

Source www.medicalnewstoday.com