Oceans and Health: A Prescription for the Future

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Oceans and Health A Prescription for the Future

• Paul Sandifer
• Chief Scientist, NOAAs Oceans and Human Health
  Initiative

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Primary Drivers for Establishment of a
National OHH Initiative

• National Academy Reports
• From Monsoons to Microbes Understanding the
  Role of the Oceans in Human Health
• Under the Weather Climate, Ecology and
  Infectious Disease
• Marine Biotechnology
• Grand Environmental Challenges
• U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy
• Program Implementation by NSF NIEHS
• Congressional Appropriations
• NOAA Strategic Plan
• Oceans and Human Health Act of 2004

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An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century
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Human Threats to Ocean Health

• NPS pollution, stormwater runoff
• Coastal development, wetland loss

• Overfishing, ecosystem collapse

• Ballast water,
• invasive species

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more impervious surfaces
Impacts of Coastal Development on Ocean and
Human Health
increased flooding
decreased biodiversity and natural habitat
bacterial/viral contamination of seafood beaches
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Ocean Threats to Human Health
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Role of OHHI within NOAA
Historical Focus of NOAA
Focus of OHH Initiative
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NOAA OHHI Scientific Goals

• Support an ecosystems approach to understanding
  causal relationships among humans, ocean
  processes, marine ecosystem health, and human
  health outcomes
• Predict ocean-related impacts on human health and
  identify emerging marine-related human health
  threats
• Promote the ecologically sound discovery of
  marine organisms and bioactive agents for human
  health benefit and
• Provide useful information for public health and
  natural resource decision makers

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NOAA Centers of Excellencein Oceans Human
Health

• Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
  (GLERL)
• predicting the formation of toxic algal blooms,
  beach closings, and water quality
• Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML)
• quality and safety of coastal waters and seafood
  and development of tools to characterize chemical
  and microbial threats to marine ecosystems and
  humans.
• Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC)
• infectious diseases, toxins, and chemicals that
  directly impact human health, and the use of
  marine organisms as sentinel species.

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OHHI Competitive External Grants

• FY04 104 proposals received, 17 grants awarded
  (6.8 million)
• FY05 proposals under review (7 million,
  including continuing projects) 150 proposals
  received

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Speakers

• Dr. Dan Baden, Director, Center for Marine
  Science, University of NC at Wilmington
• Ms. Sarah Chasis, Director of Water and Coastal
  Programs, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Dr. Lora Fleming, Professor, Rosenstiel School of
  Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of
  Miami
• Dr. Don Perkins, Director, Gulf of Maine Research
  Institute
• Ms. Kathleen Frith, Director,Communications and
  Outreach, Center for Health and the Global
  Environment, Harvard Medical School