Taputeranga Marine Reserve, image by Nicole Miller.

By Linda Murray, Mary Breheny, Romilly Cumming, Bevan Erueti, Maureen Mooney, Kirsty L. Nash, Christina Severinsen, and James Shanly.

Read the full paper here.

We know that childhood connection to nature benefits a person’s wellbeing. However, the studies that have examined this have not taken into account our current context of the triple planetary crisis. The triple planetary crisis refers to our current global state of increased pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change. Does a connection to nature improve a person’s wellbeing when nature is in triple planetary crisis?

To explore how learning about the future of the ocean may affect young people’s emotional wellbeing, we interviewed 21 ocean literacy educators from Aotearoa, New Zealand. Our participants worked in schools, museums, and national education bodies, universities, for non-government conservation organisations and in marine animal rescue. They provided a range of educational experience for primary and secondary school children. The participants described ocean literacy education as having a positive effect on young people’s emotional wellbeing through interactive experiences in coastal environments. These provided opportunities for experiencing wonder, curiosity and a shared sense of connection and belonging. Our participants reported witnessing young people being distressed and overwhelmed when they learned certain information. This resulted in educators ‘not focusing on the negative’ and moving straight to solutions young people could take part in.

Our findings provide opportunities for re-imagining ocean literacy education as a space for promoting mental wellbeing, especially when young people have the opportunity to be part of collective experiences that promote joy and wonder. We recommend intergenerational solutions where young people can be supported to take action with adults who work in solidarity with them. We also need further research into how educators can be resourced to acknowledge and facilitate support around young people’s negative emotional responses (such as grief, overwhelm and anxiety).