Health and Ocean, a fundamental but unresolved paradigm requiring urgent actions

This session explores the essential and intricate relationships between human health and oceans, presenting innovative research approaches and advocating for collaborative, health-driven actions to address this unresolved paradigm.

A novel model for systemic, long-standing, multisectoral, and interdisciplinary research is introduced through the “Sea Care Project,” coordinated by the National Institute of Health in collaboration with the Italian Navy. This project mobilizes multiple sectors around Planetary Health and One Water approaches to address human-induced persistent chemical contamination and microbiological changes in marine ecosystems. Results from the first year are presented to raise intriguing concerns related to health perspectives.

Current national monitoring systems encompass virtually all environmental compartments, including soil, air, wastewater, inland waters, drinking water, bathing water, coastal waters, items, chemicals, and food. Despite the growing recognition that environmental health impacts human health, the medical and public health communities still tend to allocate inadequate attention to the health of seas and oceans – historical repositories of pollution from human civilization and main player in climate changes and biodiversity. It is time for the scientific community to advocate for an international legislative framework for the routine monitoring of the high seas, with legally binding national commitments and an interdisciplinary approach.

Program of the Session (40 min)

Welcome and introduction

Lecture:

One water for planetary health: vision and actions

Andrea Piccioli

Panel 1

Enhancing Public Health through Ocean Research: the value of global partnership

Moderator Luca Lucentini

Panel 2

Data security in the use of artificial intelligence

Moderator Carlo Villanacci

Panel 3

Laboratory research & information technologies to investigate changes of marine biological diversity and health risks

Moderator Pamela Mancini