Public perceptions of Oceans and Human Health: Key concerns and research priority preferences in Europe and Australia

Abstract

Oceans and Human Health (OHH) is an emerging meta-discipline focusing on improving our understanding of the links between the marine environment and human health and wellbeing. However, there has been a lack of data investigating public perceptions of both the human health impacts from the marine environment, and public priorities for further OHH research. To explore these gaps, two large scale surveys were conducted as part of the current thesis; the pan-European Seas, Oceans and Public Health in Europe (SOPHIE) survey, collecting responses from 14 European countries with 14,167 respondents, and the Seas, Oceans and Public Health in Australia (SOPHIA) survey collecting a further 1,012 responses in Australia. Out of a range of potential threats, European and Australian respondents indicated that they were most concerned about the human health impacts of marine plastic pollution and expressed most support for research into better understanding the health implications of marine species protection. Further, given known heterogeneity among the public in terms of perceptions regarding other environmental issues (e.g. climate change), models were run to identify the individual-level characteristics predicting concern and research priority preferences. Quantifying attitudes, as well as understanding how individual-level differences shape concern and research preferences may enable policy makers and communicators to develop more targeted communications and initiatives aimed at reducing marine plastic pollution and tackling marine biodiversity loss. * Some abstract data has been removed due to sensitivity.