Marine Biota and Psychological Well-Being

Exposure to natural environments can have calming and stress-reducing effects on humans. Moreover, previous studies suggest that these benefits may be greater in areas with higher species richness. Our study took advantage of a “natural experiment” to examine people’s behavioral, physiological, and psychological reactions to increases in levels of marine biota in a large aquarium exhibit during three stages of restocking: Unstocked, Partially stocked, and Fully stocked. We found that increased biota levels were associated with longer spontaneous viewing of the exhibit, greater reductions in heart rate, greater increases in self-reported mood, and higher interest. We suggest that higher biota levels, even in managed settings, may be associated with important well-being and health benefits, particularly for individuals not able to access the natural analogues of managed environments. 1National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK 2Plymouth University, UK 3University of Exeter Medical School, UK 4California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA Corresponding Author: Deborah Cracknell, National Marine Aquarium, Rope Walk, Coxside, Plymouth, PL4 0LF, UK. Email:[email protected] 597512 EABXXX10.1177/0013916515597512Environment and BehaviorCracknell et al. research-article2015