A new report says that ocean health will have a huge impact on human health, and there has been much recognition that human health has been interlinked with ocean health. We all know that a healthy ocean provides us a lot, from travel and tourism to various other resources like food, medicine, and other things.
Can you believe it? The ocean and coast, which we rely on in our day-to-day life, can affect our health even if we don’t live on the sea bed. The ocean covers about 71% of the earth, and it has been crucially damaged by human actions like polluting the ocean, overfishing, and ocean acidification as we damage the health of the ocean, which negatively impacts us back in human health.
Whenever we get health complications, we will not think of the ocean as a factor, but the health of the ocean is intimately tied with our health. Yes, intensive use of the ocean and the wastewater from land pollution are the main sources that damage the health of the ocean. Consuming those water-based compounds like contaminated seafood, harmful algae bloom toxins, and other sea-based medicines lead us to harmful water-borne diseases.
Whales, dolphins, and other marine creatures eat a lot of the same seafood as humans and swim in the same coastal waters as us. Unlike us, they are vulnerable to hazards of ocean health, such as poisonous algae and low water quality. These mammals, as well as other sentinels, can provide valuable insight into how the state of ocean habitats affects human health today and in the future.
Just like humans threaten the health of the ocean, oceans also threaten the health of humans. And it is not public health alone that may be threatened; our coastal economies too. NOAA’s Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program announced a national and international projects network targeted at examining health concerns. This research has the potential to not only alert us about the possible public health threats but also to improve the management of protected species.
Humans live completely dependent on our environment. Whether it is nature or the ocean, it provides us with a lot of treasures like natural resources and medicines and improves our quality of life. Hence, to protect human health, we have to keep our ocean healthy and our environment.
