How can a healthy ocean improve human health and enhance wellbeing on a rapidly changing planet?

The ocean holds great, though still largely unrecognised and unrealised, potential to improve human health, support mental health and wellbeing, create economic opportunity and advance social justice. Opportunities include: new medicines to fight disease; new materials; inspiration for new technologies to support societal development; new ocean-based energy sources; blue food resources that hold promise for ending hunger and reducing food insecurity; and access to nature to support recreation and promote mental health. However, the ocean’s potential to benefit humanity is threatened by climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, inequitable and unsustainable patterns of consumption, and marginalisation of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and other coastal populations. These threats are the result of improper ocean governance and driven by a relentless quest for short-term economic gain without concern for human health, natural capital or environmental consequence.

In research commissioned by the Ocean Panel, we argue that fully realising the ocean’s benefits for human health and wellbeing and safeguarding our common future will require confronting these threats by meeting the commitments of global laws, treaties, conventions and guidelines; building global partnerships; and promoting a greater focus on equity and the protection of human rights for all people, including the right to health and a healthy environment.

We identify three actions of overarching importance to both ocean and human health: 1) Collaboratively protect, restore and sustainably manage ocean biodiversity, including by ratifying and implementing key international agreements; 2) Combat climate change and eliminate pollution, including by upholding commitments to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement, the COP 28 and 29 outcomes, and the UN Global Plastics Treaty; and 3) Improve human health and equity measurement by transparently incorporating evidence and linked indicators of both ocean health and human health and wellbeing into relevant policies and decision-making.

Achieving these actions will necessitate empowering marginalised voices and creating a sustainable, more equitable economy that benefits all of humanity. Healthcare professionals and the global health sector are uniquely well positioned to advocate for change, advance equity and promote sustained global action to protect both ocean health and human health. At present are they are underutilised in this capacity.