Public Aquariums and Human Health and Well-being

Many people visit public aquariums for entertainment and educational purposes, yet evidence suggests that some people also gain health and well-being benefits from visiting these attractions. Previous research has found that... [ view full abstract ]

Many people visit public aquariums for entertainment and educational purposes, yet evidence suggests that some people also gain health and well-being benefits from visiting these attractions. Previous research has found that exposure to natural environments (whether viewing trees through a window or hiking in the wilderness) can provide psychological and physiological benefits, such as improved mood, reduced stress levels and lower blood pressure. Further, some studies in terrestrial settings have found that biodiversity can influence well-being outcomes with greater psychological well-being being associated with greater species richness. However, little research has been conducted on the effects of ‘managed nature’ (i.e. animals in zoos and aquariums) on human health and well-being.

Using laboratory and field settings, a series of studies were undertaken that sought to investigate people’s preferences for different types of sub-aquatic biodiversity (specifically, marine life in public aquariums) and how these preferences influenced people’s ‘restorative experiences’ (psychological and physiological responses). These studies found that, in general, public aquarium exhibits were able to provide restorative experiences and that these restorative experiences were influenced by biodiversity characteristics, such as species richness and abundance. For instance, in one study, in which participants were exposed to different ‘levels’ (‘Unstocked’, ‘Partially stocked’, ‘Fully stocked’) of the same type of marine life, greater improvements in mood and larger decreases in heart rate were experienced at the highest stocking level.

Public aquariums may therefore provide valuable opportunities for easy and regular access to a restorative environment. As well as being beneficial for those with little or no access to natural environments, more broadly, this extends to the wider population in general who are exposed to increasingly stressful and urbanised lives. Furthermore, greater contact with nature, in whatever setting, may provide more than human health and well-being benefits. While keeping animals in captivity may sit uncomfortably with some conservationists, connecting people to the marine environment and its species may lead to a better understanding and appreciation of the benefits of natural environments and help increase motivations to conserve and protect species and habitats in the wild.