Aquatic Biodiversity and Mental Health: Lack of Association Evidence from Empirical Studies and Global Research Trends
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12923/2353-8627/2025-0015Keywords:
biodiversity, sustainability, aquatic environment, mental health, bibliometric analysisAbstract
Introduction: Aquatic biodiversity plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance, supporting ecosystem services, and enhancing human well-being. This study aimed to assess global research trends and empirical evidence on the relationship between aquatic biodiversity and mental health outcomes, while identifying thematic gaps and emerging areas of inquiry.
Materials and methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection (2014–2025) and analysed in R with Bibliometrix (Biblioshiny). From an initial 19,320 records, 159 highly cited original research articles were screened using the Rayyan systematic review platform, resulting in 10 eligible studies that directly examined human mental health in relation to aquatic biodiversity or blue space quality.
Results: The study results show that research at this intersection remains limited, with mental health often treated as a secondary or indirect aspect within broader ecological or sustainability frameworks. Emerging but underexplored topics include emotional exhaustion, depression, and stress linked to the degradation of aquatic ecosystem and water insecurity. Content analysis of the 10 studies revealed no direct quantitative evidence linking measured aquatic biodiversity to mental health outcomes. Instead, perceived environmental quality and visible wildlife presence consistently predicted higher wellbeing and more frequent engagement with aquatic environments, suggesting that perceived biodiversity may serve as a key intermediary for psychological benefits.
Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for longitudinal, interdisciplinary research that integrates ecological metrics with psychological assessments. Strengthening collaboration among environmental scientists, psychologists, and public health experts will be essential to establishing an evidence-based frameworks linking aquatic biodiversity with mental health.
References
1. Irfan S, Alatawi AMM. Aquatic Ecosystem and Biodiversity: A Review. Open J Ecol. 2019;9(1):1–13. doi:10.4236/oje.2019.91001.
2. Convention on Biological Diversity. Convention Text [Internet]. Montreal: CBD Secretariat; [cytowany 19.11.2024]. Dostępny z: https://www.cbd.int/convention/articles?a=cbd-02
3. White MP, Elliott LR, Gascon M, Roberts B, Fleming LE. Blue Space, Health and Well-Being: A Narrative Overview and Synthesis of Potential Benefits. Environ Res. 2020;191:110169. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.110169.
4. Garrett JK, White MP, Elliott LR, Grellier J, Bell S, Bratman GN, et al. Applying an Ecosystem Services Framework on Nature and Mental Health to Recreational Blue Space Visits across 18 Countries. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):2209. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-28544-w.
5. Grace MJ, Dickie J, Bartie PJ, Oliver DM. Health and Wellbeing (Dis)Benefits of Accessing Inland Blue Spaces over the Course of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Landsc Urban Plan. 2024;252:105178. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2024.105178.
6. White M, Smith A, Humphryes K, Pahl S, Snelling D, Depledge M. Blue Space: The Importance of Water for Preference, Affect, and Restorativeness Ratings of Natural and Built Scenes. J Environ Psychol. 2010;30(4):482–493. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.04.004.
7. Wright K, Eden S, Hancox A, Windget D, Elliott L, Glossop Z, et al. A Qualitative Exploration of the Contribution of Blue Space to Well-Being in the Lives of People with Severe Mental Illness. People Nat. 2024;6(3):849–864. doi:10.1002/pan3.10620.
8. Thoma MV, Rohleder N, Rohner SL. Clinical Ecopsychology: The Mental Health Impacts and Underlying Pathways of the Climate and Environmental Crisis. Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:675936. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.675936.
9. Pienkowski T, Keane A, Booth H, Kinyanda E, Fisher JC, Lawrance E, et al. Nature’s Contributions to Social Determinants of Mental Health and the Role of Conservation. One Earth. 2024;7(7):1213–1227. doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2024.05.004.
10. Zhang X, Zhang Y, Zhai J, Wu Y, Mao A. Waterscapes for Promoting Mental Health in the General Population. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(22):11792. doi:10.3390/ijerph182211792.
11. Krzanowski J. The Need for Biodiversity Champions in Psychiatry: The Entwined Crises of Climate Change and Ecological Collapse. BJPsych Bull. 2021;45(4):238–243. doi:10.1192/bjb.2021.44.
12. Cianconi P, Hirsch D, Chiappini S, Martinotti G, Janiri L. Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Mental Health: A Global Perspective. BJPsych Int. 2022;19(4):83–86. doi:10.1192/bji.2022.20.
13. Overbury K, Conroy BW, Marks E. Swimming in Nature: A Scoping Review of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Open Water Swimming. J Environ Psychol. 2023;90:102073. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102073.
14. Gaekwad JS, Sal Moslehian A, Roös PB, Walker A. A Meta-Analysis of Emotional Evidence for the Biophilia Hypothesis and Implications for Biophilic Design. Front Psychol. 2022;13:750245. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.750245.
15. Simaika JP, Samways MJ. Biophilia as a Universal Ethic for Conserving Biodiversity. Conserv Biol. 2010;24(4):903–906. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01485.x.
16. Joye Y, De Block A. ‘Nature and I Are Two’: A Critical Examination of the Biophilia Hypothesis. Environ Values. 2011;20(2):189–215. doi:10.3197/096327111X12997574391724.
17. Biassoni F, Gandola M, Gnerre M. Grounding the Restorative Effect of the Environment in Tertiary Qualities: An Integration of Embodied and Phenomenological Perspectives. J Intell. 2023;11(11):208. doi:10.3390/jintelligence11110208.
18. Pasanen T, Johnson K, Lee K, Korpela K. Can Nature Walks With Psychological Tasks Improve Mood, Self-Reported Restoration, and Sustained Attention? Results From Two Experimental Field Studies. Front Psychol. 2018;9:2057. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02057.
19. Piedimonte A, Lanzo G, Campaci F, Volpino V, Carlino E. Spreading New Light on Attention Restoration Theory: An Environmental Posner Paradigm. Brain Sci. 2025;15(6):578. doi:10.3390/brainsci15060578.
20. Ohly H, White MP, Wheeler BW, Bethel A, Ukoumunne OC, Nikolaou V, et al. Attention Restoration Theory: A Systematic Review of the Attention Restoration Potential of Exposure to Natural Environments. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2016;19(7):305–343. doi:10.1080/10937404.2016.1196155.
21. Joye Y, Dewitte S. Nature’s Broken Path to Restoration. A Critical Look at Attention Restoration Theory. J Environ Psychol. 2018;59:1–8. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.08.006.
22. White MP, Elliott LR, Grellier J, Economou T, Bell S, Bratman GN, et al. Associations between Green/Blue Spaces and Mental Health across 18 Countries. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):8903. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-87675-0.
23. Nutsford D, Pearson AL, Kingham S, Reitsma F. Residential Exposure to Visible Blue Space (but Not Green Space) Associated with Lower Psychological Distress in a Capital City. Health Place. 2016;39:70–78. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.03.002.
24. Lu P, Sani NM, Li Y, Wang Y. How Does Urban Blue Space Affect Human Well-Being? A Study Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response Theory. Front Psychol. 2025;16:1553296. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1553296.
25. Vanhöfen J, Härtel T, Reichert G, Randler C. The Relationship between Perception and Landscape Characteristics of Recreational Places with Human Mental Well-Being. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):4245. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-88414-5.
26. Hedin M, Hahs AK, Mata L, Lee K. Connecting Biodiversity With Mental Health and Wellbeing – A Review of Methods and Disciplinary Perspectives. Front Ecol Evol. 2022;10:865727. doi:10.3389/fevo.2022.865727.
27. Spanou E, Kenter JO, Graziano M. The Effects of Aquaculture and Marine Conservation on Cultural Ecosystem Services: An Integrated Hedonic – Eudaemonic Approach. Ecol Econ. 2020;176:106757. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106757.
28. Delgadillo DR, Borelli JL, Mayer EA, Labus JS, Cross MP, Pressman SD. Biological, Environmental, and Psychological Stress and the Human Gut Microbiome in Healthy Adults. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):362. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-77473-9.
29. Rook GA. Regulation of the Immune System by Biodiversity from the Natural Environment: An Ecosystem Service Essential to Health. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013;110(46):18360–18367. doi:10.1073/pnas.1313731110.
30. Heidari H, Lawrence DA. Climate Stressors and Physiological Dysregulations: Mechanistic Connections to Pathologies. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;21(1):28. doi:10.3390/ijerph21010028.
31. Ejiohuo O, Uteh CO, Olaleye OO, Lawal SA, Maigoro AY, Onyeaka H. The Intersection of Mpox Outbreak and Mental Health: A Bibliometric Analysis of Current Research Trends. Glob Health J. 2025;9(2):124–135. doi:10.1016/j.glohj.2025.06.009.
32. Ouzzani M, Hammady H, Fedorowicz Z, Elmagarmid A. Rayyan—a Web and Mobile App for Systematic Reviews. Syst Rev. 2016;5(1):210. doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0384-4.
33. Pouso S, Borja Á, Fleming LE, Gómez-Baggethun E, White MP, Uyarra MC. Contact with Blue-Green Spaces during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown Beneficial for Mental Health. Sci Total Environ. 2021;756:143984. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143984.
34. Finlay J, Franke T, McKay H, Sims-Gould J. Therapeutic Landscapes and Wellbeing in Later Life: Impacts of Blue and Green Spaces for Older Adults. Health Place. 2015;34:97–106. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.05.001.
35. Triguero-Mas M, Dadvand P, Cirach M, Martínez D, Medina A, Mompart A, et al. Natural Outdoor Environments and Mental and Physical Health: Relationships and Mechanisms. Environ Int. 2015;77:35–41. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2015.01.012.
36. Garrett JK, White MP, Huang J, Ng S, Hui Z, Leung C, et al. Urban Blue Space and Health and Wellbeing in Hong Kong: Results from a Survey of Older Adults. Health Place. 2019;55:100–110. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.11.003.
37. Helbich M, Yao Y, Liu Y, Zhang J, Liu P, Wang R. Using Deep Learning to Examine Street View Green and Blue Spaces and Their Associations with Geriatric Depression in Beijing, China. Environ Int. 2019;126:107–117. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.013.
38. Bratman GN, Daily GC, Levy BJ, Gross JJ. The Benefits of Nature Experience: Improved Affect and Cognition. Landsc Urban Plan. 2015;138:41–50. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.02.005.
39. Wheeler BW, Lovell R, Higgins SL, White MP, Alcock I, Osborne NJ, et al. Beyond Greenspace: An Ecological Study of Population General Health and Indicators of Natural Environment Type and Quality. Int J Health Geogr. 2015;14:17. doi:10.1186/s12942-015-0009-5.
40. Bratman GN, Hamilton JP, Hahn KS, Daily GC, Gross JJ. Nature Experience Reduces Rumination and Subgenual Prefrontal Cortex Activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(28):8567–8572. doi:10.1073/pnas.1510459112.
41. Grima N, Corcoran W, Hill-James C, Langton B, Sommer H, Fisher B. The Importance of Urban Natural Areas and Urban Ecosystem Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic. PLoS One. 2020;15(12):e0243344. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0243344.
42. Paudel S, States SL. Urban Green Spaces and Sustainability: Exploring the Ecosystem Services and Disservices of Grassy Lawns versus Floral Meadows. Urban For Urban Green. 2023;84:127932. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127932.
43. Sandifer PA, Sutton-Grier AE, Ward BP. Exploring Connections among Nature, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, and Human Health and Well-Being: Opportunities to Enhance Health and Biodiversity Conservation. Ecosyst Serv. 2015;12:1–15. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2014.12.007.
44. Coutts C, Hahn M. Green Infrastructure, Ecosystem Services, and Human Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12(8):9768–9798. doi:10.3390/ijerph120809768.
45. Fedele G, Locatelli B, Djoudi H. Mechanisms Mediating the Contribution of Ecosystem Services to Human Well-Being and Resilience. Ecosyst Serv. 2017;28:43–54. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2017.09.011.
46. Akinsete E, Apostolaki S, Chatzistamoulou N, Koundouri P, Tsani S. The Link between Ecosystem Services and Human Wellbeing in the Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive: Assessing Four River Basins in Europe. Water. 2019;11(3):508. doi:10.3390/w11030508.
47. Zhang N, You J, Xu Q, Cai J, Jordan KP, Li L, et al. Geographical Association of Bird Species Richness with All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Rates of Local Residents: An Ecological Study in China. Life. 2025;15(6):875. doi:10.3390/life15060875.
48. Methorst J. Positive Relationship between Bird Diversity and Human Mental Health: An Analysis of Repeated Cross-Sectional Data. Lancet Planet Health. 2024;8(5):e285–e296. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00023-8.
49. Thompson R, Tamayo M, Sigurðsson S. Urban Bird Diversity: Does Abundance and Richness Vary Unexpectedly with Green Space Attributes? J Urban Ecol. 2022;8(1):juac017. doi:10.1093/jue/juac017.
50. Chen Y, Zhao P, Xu Q, Qu B, Li D, Clement S, et al. Relating Biodiversity with Health Disparities of Human Population: An Ecological Study across the United States. One Health. 2023;16:100548. doi:10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100548.
51. Akinsemolu AA, Onyeaka H, Arijeniwa FV. Harnessing Green Microbiology for Sustainable Water Management, Agriculture, and Energy Generation: Current Advances and Future Prospects. World Water Policy. 2024;10(4):649–697. doi:10.1002/wwp2.12215.
52. Maglione G, Zinno P, Tropea A, Mussagy CU, Dufossé L, Giuffrida D, et al. Microbes’ Role in Environmental Pollution and Remediation: A Bioeconomy Focus Approach. AIMS Microbiol. 2024;10(4):723–755. doi:10.3934/microbiol.2024033.
53. Kexiu L, Elsadek M, Liu B, Fujii E. Foliage Colors Improve Relaxation and Emotional Status of University Students from Different Countries. Heliyon. 2021;7(2):e06131. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06131.
54. Kurt S, Osueke KK. The Effects of Color on the Moods of College Students. SAGE Open. 2014;4(1):2158244014525423. doi:10.1177/2158244014525423.
55. Lubos LC. The Role of Colors in Stress Reduction. LJHER. 2008;5(2). doi:10.7828/ljher.v5i2.39.
56. Cai J, Liu J, Yu N, Liu B. Effect of Water Sound Masking on Perception of the Industrial Noise. Appl Acoust. 2019;150:307–312. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2019.02.025.
57. Puyana-Romero V, Maffei L, Brambilla G, Nuñez-Solano D. Sound Water Masking to Match a Waterfront Soundscape with the Users’ Expectations: The Case Study of the Seafront in Naples, Italy. Sustainability. 2021;13(1):371. doi:10.3390/su13010371.
58. Thoma MV, Mewes R, Nater UM. Preliminary Evidence: The Stress-Reducing Effect of Listening to Water Sounds Depends on Somatic Complaints: A Randomized Trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(15):e9851. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000009851.
59. Umbas JCG, Bintang AK, Aulina S, Bahar A, Akbar M. The Effect of White Noise on High School Students’ Sleep Quality at Unit B of Rajawali Girls Dormitory Makassar. Medicina Clínica Práctica. 2021;4:100209. doi:10.1016/j.mcpsp.2021.100209.
60. Yoon H, Baek HJ. External Auditory Stimulation as a Non-Pharmacological Sleep Aid. Sensors (Basel). 2022;22(3):1264. doi:10.3390/s22031264.
61. Williamson J. The Effects of Ocean Sounds on Sleep after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery. Am J Crit Care. 1992;1(1):91–97. doi:10.4037/ajcc1992.1.1.91.
62. Yang W, Moon HJ, Kim MJ. Perceptual Assessment of Indoor Water Sounds over Environmental Noise through Windows. Appl Acoust. 2018;135:60–69. doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2018.01.028.
63. Alvarsson JJ, Wiens S, Nilsson ME. Stress Recovery during Exposure to Nature Sound and Environmental Noise. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010;7(3):1036–1046. doi:10.3390/ijerph7031036.
64. Wu JS, Yi E, Manca M, Javaid H, Lauer AM, Glowatzki E. Sound Exposure Dynamically Induces Dopamine Synthesis in Cholinergic LOC Efferents for Feedback to Auditory Nerve Fibers. eLife. 2020;9:e52419. doi:10.7554/eLife.52419.
65. Boyle CN, Lorenzen SM, Compton D, Watts AG. Dehydration-Anorexia Derives from a Reduction in Meal Size, but Not Meal Number. Physiol Behav. 2012;105(2):305–314. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.08.005.
66. Solmi M, Fabiano N, Clarke AE, Fung SG, Tanuseputro P, et al. Adverse Outcomes and Mortality in Individuals with Eating Disorder-Related Electrolyte Abnormalities in Ontario, Canada: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Lancet Psychiatry. 2024;11(10):818–827. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00244-X.
67. Puckett L. Renal and Electrolyte Complications in Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Review. J Eat Disord. 2023;11(1):26. doi:10.1186/s40337-023-00751-w.
68. Ernstmeyer K, Christman E, editors. Nursing Fundamentals [Internet]. Eau Claire (WI): Chippewa Valley Technical College; 2021. Chapter 15, Fluids and Electrolytes; [cytowany 19.11.2024]. Dostępny z: https://wtcs.pressbooks.pub/nursingfundamentals/
69. Popkin BM, D’Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, Hydration, and Health. Nutr Rev. 2010;68(8):439–458. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Ovinuchi Ejiohuo, William Akuffo-Addo, Preye Edi, Cyril Onwuelazu Uteh, Helen Onyeaka (Autor)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
