IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC)
Advancing knowledge and cooperation for a healthy ocean and prosperous society
Work Area #4:
Ocean and Human Health
Biodiversity Status Awareness
The ocean is intimately tied to human health. Intensive use of our ocean, land-based pollution, climate change and ocean acidification are just among many factors that stress our fragile ecosystems—and increasingly lead to human health concerns.
Harmful algal bloom toxins, contaminated seafood, ocean deoxygenation, waterborne infectious diseases, and chemical pollutants are other concerns. Just as we can threaten the health of our ocean, our ocean can threaten our health too.
WESTPAC mobilizes ocean scientific communities to investigate phenomena related to the ocean and human health, seeks to understand how and why they occur, and facilitate cooperation among Member States towards developing local, national and regional solutions.
