Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T18:01:27.750Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An economic perspective on oceans and human health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2015

Audrey Legat ,
Veronica French  and
Niall McDonough
Audrey Legat
Affiliation:
Environmental Policy Group, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
Veronica French
Affiliation:
European Marine Board, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
Niall McDonough*
Affiliation:
European Marine Board, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Oostende, Belgium
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: N. McDonough, European Marine Board, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Oostende, Belgium email: nmcdonough@esf.org
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Human health and wellbeing are intrinsically connected to our seas and oceans through a complex relationship comprising both positive and negative influences. Although significant public health impacts result from this relationship, the economic implications are rarely analysed. We reviewed the literature to assess current knowledge on the economic valuation and impacts of ocean and human health interactions in a European context. Quantitative analyses on the economic impacts of varying ocean-health interactions were limited. Common challenges to economic assessment included the difficulty in obtaining estimates for indirect healthcare costs, under-reporting of illness and the lack of standardization of surveillance data on illnesses, when available. It was also evident that non-market values, such as health promotion and psychological benefits are underrepresented in economic assessments, most likely because of the lack of standardized valuation methods for such non-market values. We provide recommendations to improve knowledge of ocean and human health linkages and progress future assessment of its economic implications in Europe.

Keywords

Oceans and human healthBlue Growthwellbeingeconomic assessmentBlue Gym
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 96 , Issue 1: Oceans and Human Health , February 2016 , pp. 13 - 17
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ashbullby, K.J., Pahl, S., Webley, P. and White, M.P. (2013) The beach as a setting for families’ health promotion: a qualitative study with parents and children living in coastal regions in Southwest England. Health & Place 23, 138–147. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.06.005.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Backer, L. and McGillicuddy, D. (2006) Harmful algal blooms, at the interface between coastal oceanography and human health. Oceanography 19, 94–106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baker-Austin, C., Stockley, L., Rangdale, R. and Martinez-Urtaza, J. (2010) Environmental occurrence and clinical impact of Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus: a European perspective. Environmental Microbiology Reports 2, 7–18. doi:10.1111/j.1758-2229.2009.00096.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barbier, E.B., Hacker, S.D., Kennedy, C., Koch, E.W., Stier, A.C. and Silliman, B.R. (2011) The value of estuarine and coastal ecosystem services. Ecological Monographs 81, 169–193. doi:10.1890/10-1510.1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Böer, S.I., Heinemeyer, E.-A., Luden, K., Erler, R., Gerdts, G., Janssen, F. and Brennholt, N. (2013) Temporal and spatial distribution patterns of potentially pathogenic Vibrio spp. at recreational beaches of the German North Sea. Microbial Ecology 65, 1052–1067. doi:10.1007/s00248-013-0221-4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boxman, I.L.A., Tilburg, J.J., te Loeke, N.A., Vennema, H., Jonker, K., de Boer, E. and Koopmans, M. (2006) Detection of noroviruses in shellfish in the Netherlands. International Journal of Food Microbiology 108, 391–396.Google ScholarPubMed
Boyes, S.J. and Elliott, M. (2014) Marine legislation – the ultimate “horrendogram”: international law, European directives & national implementation. Marine Pollution Bulletin 86, 39–47. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.06.055.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ciscar, J., Feyen, L., Soria, A., Lavalle, C., Raes, F., Perry, M., Nemry, F., Demirel, H., Rozsai, M., Dosio, A., Donatelli, M., Srivastava, A., Fumagalli, D., Niemeyer, S., Shrestha, S., Ciaian, P., Himics, M., Van Doorslaer, B., Barrios, S., Ibáñez, N., Forzieri, G., Rojas, R., Bianchi, A., Dowling, P., Camia, A., Libertà, G., San Miguel, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Barredo, J.I., Paci, D., Pycroft, J., Saveyn, B., Van Regemorter, D., Revesz, T., Vandyck, T., Vrontisi, Z., Baranzelli, C., Vandecasteele, I., Batista e Silva, F. and Ibarreta, D. (2014) Climate Impacts in Europe. The JRC PESETA II Project. JRC Scientific and Policy Reports, EUR 26586EN.Google Scholar
Costanza, R., d'Arge, R., de Groot, R., Farber, S., Grasso, M., Hannon, B., Naeem, S., Limburg, K., Paruelo, J., O'Neill, R.V.Raskin, R., Sutton, P. and ven den Belt, M. (1997) The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387, 253–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Depledge, M.H. and Bird, W.J. (2009) The Blue Gym: health and wellbeing from our coasts. Marine Pollution Bulletin 58, 947–948. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.04.019.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Depledge, M.H., Harvey, A.J., Brownlee, C., Frost, M., Moore, M.N. and Fleming, L.E. (2013) Changing views of the interconnections between the oceans and human health in Europe. Microbial Ecology 65, 852–859. doi: 10.1007/s00248-012-0173-0.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dyson, K. and Huppert, D.D. (2010) Regional economic impacts of razor clam beach closures due to harmful algal blooms (HABs) on the Pacific coast of Washington. Harmful Algae 9, 264–271. doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2009.11.003.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
European Commission (2012) Blue Growth opportunities for marine and maritime sustainable growth, COM(2012) 494 final. Brussels: European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/blue_growth/documents/com_2012_494_en.pdf.Google Scholar
European Commission (2014) A European Strategy for more Growth and Jobs in Coastal and Maritime Tourism, COM(2014) 86 final. Brussels: European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/coastal_tourism/documents/com_2014_86_en.pdf.Google Scholar
European Environment Agency (2006) The changing faces of Europe's coastal areas. No. 6/2006, Copenhagen: EEA. http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2006_6.Google Scholar
European Environment Agency and World Health Organization (2002) Water and health in Europe. Copenhagen and Geneva: EEA and WHO. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/98449/E76521.pdf.Google Scholar
FAO (2012) The state of world fisheries and aquaculture. Rome: FAO. http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i2727e/i2727e.pdf.Google Scholar
Farsari, Y., Butler, R. and Prastacos, P. (2007) Sustainable tourism policy for Mediterranean destinations: issues and interrelationships. International Journal of Tourism Policy 1, 58–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fleming, L.E., Kirkpatrick, B., Backer, L.C., Walsh, C.J., Nierenberg, K., Clark, J., Reich, A., Hollenbeck, J., Benson, J., Cheng, Y.S., Naar, J., Pierce, R., Bourdelais, A.J., Abraham, W.M., Kirkpatrick, G., Zaias, J., Wanner, A., Mendes, E., Shalat, S., Hoagland, P., Stephan, W., Bean, J., Watkins, S., Clarke, T., Byrne, M. and Baden, D.G. (2011) Review of Florida red tide and human health effects. Harmful Algae 10, 224–233. doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2010.08.006.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fleming, L.E., McDonough, N., Austen, M., Mee, L., Moore, M., Hess, P., Depledge, M.H., White, M., Philippart, K., Bradbrook, P. and Smalley, A. (2014) Oceans and human health: a rising tide of challenges and opportunities for Europe. Marine Environmental Research 99, 16–19. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2014.05.010.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glibert, P., Anderson, D., Gentien, P., Graneli, E. and Sellner, K. (2005) The Global, complex phenomena of harmful algal blooms. Oceanography 18, 136–147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Government Office for Science (2007) Tackling obesities: future choices – project report, 2nd edn.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/287937/07-1184x-tackling-obesities-future-choices-report.pdf.Google Scholar
Grimes, D., Hamann, M., Lotz, J., McLean, T., McIlwain, T. and Price, C. (2012) Oceans and human health, social and economic impacts. In Meyers, R. (ed.) Encyclopedia of sustainability science and technology. New York, NY: Springer, pp. 7383–7393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoagland, P., Anderson, D., Kaoru, Y. and White, A. (2002) The economic effects of harmful algal blooms in the United States: estimates, assessment issues, and information needs. Estuaries 25, 819–837.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoagland, P., Jin, D., Beet, A., Kirkpatrick, B., Reich, A., Ullmann, S., Fleming, L.E. and Kirkpatrick, G. (2014) The human health effects of Florida red tide (FRT) blooms: an expanded analysis. Environment International 68, 144–153. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2014.03.016.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoagland, P., Jin, D., Polansky, L.Y., Kirkpatrick, B., Kirkpatrick, G., Fleming, L.E., Reich, A., Watkins, S.M., Ullmann, S.G. and Backer, L.C. (2009) The costs of respiratory illnesses arising from Florida gulf coast Karenia brevis blooms. Environmental Health Perspectives 117, 1239–1243. doi: 10.1289/ehp.0900645.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hylland, K. (2006) Biological effects in the management of chemicals in the marine environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin 53, 614–619. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.08.010.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knowles, T., Moody, R. and McEachern, M.G. (2007) European food scares and their impact on EU food policy. British Food Journal 109, 43–67. doi: 10.1108/00070700710718507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Guyader, F.S., Le Saux, J.-C., Ambert-Balay, K., Krol, J., Serais, O., Parnaudeau, S., Giraudon, H., Delmas, G., Pommepuy, M., Pothier, P. and Atmar, R.L. (2008) Aichi virus, norovirus, astrovirus, enterovirus, and rotavirus involved in clinical cases from a French oyster-related gastroenteritis outbreak. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 46, 4011–4017. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01044-08.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lindgren, E., Andersson, Y., Suk, J.E., Sudre, B. and Semenza, J.C. (2012) Monitoring EU emerging infectious disease risk due to climate change. Science 336, 418–419.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martínez, M.L., Intralawan, A., Vázquez, G., Pérez-Maqueo, O., Sutton, P. and Landgrave, R. (2007) The coasts of our world: ecological, economic and social importance. Ecological Economics 63, 254–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martinez-Urtaza, J., Simental, L., Velasco, D., DePaola, A., Ishibashi, M., Nakaguchi, Y., Nishibuchi, M., Carrera-Flores, D., Rey-Alvarez, C. and Pousa, A. (2005) Pandemic vibrio parahaemolyticus O3: K6, Europe. Emerging Infectious Diseases 11, 4–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moore, M.N., Depledge, M.H., Fleming, L., Hess, P., Lees, D., Leonard, P., Madsen, L., Owen, R., Pirlet, H., Seys, J., Vasconcelos, P. and Viarengo, A. (2013) Oceans and Human Health (OHH): a European perspective from the Marine Board of the European Science Foundation (Marine Board-ESF). Microbial Ecology 65, 889–900. doi: 10.1007/s00248-013-0204-5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newell, D.G., Koopmans, M., Verhoef, L., Duizer, E., Aidara-Kane, A., Sprong, H., Opsteegh, M., Langelaar, M., Threfall, J., Scheutz, F., van der Giessen, J. and Kruse, H. (2010) Food-borne diseases – the challenges of 20 years ago still persist while new ones continue to emerge. International Journal of Food Microbiology 139(Suppl 1), S3–S15. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2010.01.021.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prüss-Üstün, A. and Corvalán, C. (2006) Towards an estimate of the environmental burden of disease. Geneva: WHO. http://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/preventingdisease.pdf?ua=1.Google Scholar
Ralston, E.P., Kite-Powell, H. and Beet, A. (2011) An estimate of the cost of acute health effects from food- and water-borne marine pathogens and toxins in the USA. Journal of Water and Health 9, 680–694. doi: 10.2166/wh.2011.157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shuval, H. (2003) Estimating the global burden of thalassogenic diseases: human infectious diseases caused by wastewater pollution of the marine environment. Journal of Water and Health 1, 53–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stanners, D. and Bourdeau, P. (1995) Europe's environment: the Dobris assessment. An overview. Copenhagen: European Environment Agency.Google Scholar
Todd, E.C.D. (2006) Challenges to global surveillance of disease patterns. Marine Pollution Bulletin 53, 569–578. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2006.08.004.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tyson, F.L., Rice, D.L. and Dearry, A. (2004) Connecting the oceans and human health. Environmental Health Perspectives 112, A455–A456.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van de Guchte, C. and Vandeweerd, V. (2004) Targeting sanitation. Our Planet 14, 19–21.Google Scholar
Van Dolah, F.M. (2000) Marine algal toxins: origins, health effects, and their increased occurrence. Environmental Health Perspectives 108(Supplement 1), 133–141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vezzulli, L., Colwell, R.R. and Pruzzo, C. (2013) Ocean warming and spread of pathogenic vibrios in the aquatic environment. Microbial Ecology 65, 817–825. doi: 10.1007/s00248-012-0163-2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wheeler, B.W., White, M., Stahl-Timmins, W. and Depledge, M.H. (2012) Does living by the coast improve health and wellbeing? Health and Place 18, 1198–1201. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.06.015.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
White, M.P., Alcock, I., Wheeler, B.W. and Depledge, M.H. (2013b) Coastal proximity, health and well-being: results from a longitudinal panel survey. Health and Place 23, 97–103. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.05.006.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
White, M.P., Pahl, S., Ashbullby, K., Herbert, S. and Depledge, M.H. (2013a) Feelings of restoration from recent nature visits. Journal of Environmental Psychology 35, 40–51. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.04.002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, M.P., Wheeler, B.W., Herbert, S., Alcock, I. and Depledge, M.H. (2014) Coastal proximity and physical activity: is the coast an under-appreciated public health resource? Preventive Medicine 69C, 135–140. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.09.016.CrossRefGoogle Scholar