The ocean and human health as a meta-discipline: Opportunity for Atlantic Canada

Abstract

The one global ocean is receiving unprecedented attention recently, due to numerous factors such as the ocean‘s role in climate change and the burgeoning blue economy. However, even though the ocean allows life on this planet, very little attention has been given to the complex relationship between the ocean and human health (OHH). USA and Europe have for a number of years focused funding on OHH as a meta-discipline (i.e., a discipline that includes the ideas and perspectives of a number of other disciplines), but Canada until now has not. This article examines the advancement of OHH and argues that Atlantic Canada could and should lead a Canadian meta-disciplinary program on the ocean and human health.

Keywords: global ocean, human health, meta-discipline