Contributed by Marcus Reamer
A recent literature review published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health makes a case for the use of public health framing to communicate issues facing marine and coastal ecosystems and inspire action from human communities all over the world to achieve the outcomes defined as part of the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The article does not limit this work to scientists and science communicators but invites anyone who lives on our planet to get involved, with particular emphasis on doctors, public health practitioners, public relations experts, journalists, artists, and citizen advocates to name a few.
It is no secret that the global ocean makes life on Earth possible. Communities throughout human history have recognized and documented the power of the ocean to support our physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being, and its power and potential to do harm by way of natural disasters and other events. Unfortunately, it is easy to forget how important a balanced ocean is to our way of life and to think of the ocean as an infinite resource that society has no influence over, and it can be challenging to understand the threats facing the ocean and coastal systems, the consequences associated with them, and the actions needed to address them. After learning about advances in environmental communication research that found public health framing and public health practitioners as messengers can be effective in the context of climate communication, I set out to conduct a literature review that identified opportunities to try the same in the context of global ocean conservation.
I reviewed literature across the ocean and human health science and environmental communication, both of which emerged recently as distinct areas of academic inquiry. After reading dozens of papers from each interdisciplinary field, it became clear that there are plenty of opportunities for collaboration both in research and in practice. Using the strengths, limitations, and knowledge gaps from each field, I put forward five areas of focus that define an agenda for the ocean and human health communication research and practice. They are:
- Working toward a clear definition of ocean health messaging – Leaning on findings from nature-based solutions across ecosystems and geographies as well as public health research, it felt necessary to start with a clear definition of ocean health messaging, both regionally and globally. Doing so can help the ocean conservation community to offer consistent messaging and avoid some of the ambiguity and confusion that have been observed in other contexts like nature-based solutions.
- Developing, implementing, and evaluating communication strategies with an OHH focus – Climate communication has (rightfully) been a primary focus of environmental communication research, serving as a sort of umbrella subject of sorts. There are unique social-cognitive limitations that people experience when receiving information about aquatic systems, however, which makes it necessary for researchers to focus on marine and coastal topics, particularly the ocean and human health science. Doing so would also get ahead of any politicization of policy actions related to marine and coastal conservation that may inform future counter-communication strategies from oppositional groups.
- Establishing a shared commitment to environmental justice and equitable storytelling – Scholars and organizations across the ocean and human health science and environmental communication have stated a clear commitment to environmental justice and equity, and there is an incredible responsibility to make good on these promises. As it stands, empirical research on ocean and human health topics skews significantly toward the United States and Europe. There is a great need for geographic and demographic expansion to achieve many forms of representation in scholarship, and thus attention and action. Doing so looks like inclusive scholarship built on trusting relationships, co-production of knowledge, and incorporation of knowledge beyond the empirical, and actively working with media gatekeepers to amplify unheard or underheard voices and their needs.
- Bridging science and storytelling – There is a noticeable mismatch between what scientists believe are the most pressing challenges in ocean conservation and what media outlets cover. This is often because issues like plastics, food contamination, and harmful algal blooms are more visible and fit the practical needs of media outlets, whereas more abstract and longer-term issues like ocean warming, regime shifts, and acidification are more challenging to explain and visualize, thus earning them less coverage. The use of community impact stories and sentinel species – like marine mammals, sea birds, and even cats – can help draw attention to more invisible issues and make them feel important and personally relevant to audiences.
- Training professionals who can transcend disciplinary or institutional boundaries – To achieve any and all of the above requires people who are prepared to work across disciplines, organizations, and sectors. Training boundary spanners should not be limited to universities, though undergraduate and graduate degree programs that reward transdisciplinary, collaborative work are a great place to start. Governments, NGOs, and industry groups can formally and informally support the development of experts who want to work at the intersection of environmental science, public health, and communication and citizen advocates who want to effect change.
The ocean conservation community needs more people who can and want to tell the stories of the many ways the ocean affects human health and well-being. Doing so is not a silver bullet, but it can be a new tool in the conservationist’s toolbox. Just like any other tool, ocean and human health stories will not be appropriate or most effective in all cases, which is why it is important to explore when, where, and how to effectively use the ocean and human health connections to reach new audiences and inspire action to address the many challenges placing pressure on the aquatic ecosystems that feed us, produce the oxygen we breathe, and give us spaces to unwind and connect with nature and ourselves.
“Communicating ocean and human health connections: An agenda for research and practice” is available now via Open Access through Frontiers in Public Health.
About the author
Marcus Reamer is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. His area of expertise is environmental communication, with topical interests related to biodiversity conservation, marine protected areas, and community engagement for equitable climate adaptation.
This piece was prepared online by Panuruji Kenta, Publisher, SEVENSEAS Media