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Mapping Research Trends on Health Economics and Marine Environment in the Last 20 Years
Summary
This study reviewed 20 years of research connecting ocean health to human health, finding that scientific interest has surged since 2016, largely due to concerns about microplastic pollution and how COVID-19 hurt fishing communities. The big takeaway: researchers are shifting from just calculating the dollar value of oceans toward understanding how marine environments affect real people's physical health, mental well-being, and livelihoods. This matters because it signals a growing recognition that protecting oceans isn't just about ecosystems—it's directly tied to the health and economic security of coastal communities worldwide.
The intersection of health economics and marine environments has gained increasing attention as coastal communities face mounting pressures from environmental degradation, climate change, and public health crises. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of 107 Scopus‑indexed articles published between 2005 and 2025, mapping the intellectual structure, publication trends, and thematic evolution of research linking health economics with marine and fisheries systems. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we employed Biblioshiny to analyze productivity, citation impact, collaborative networks, and keyword co‑occurrence. Our findings reveal that Marine Policy is the most influential journal, while authors such as Asche, Villasante, Hynes, and Rees drive the field through interdisciplinary collaborations. Publication output surged after 2016, peaking in 2024, driven by growing concerns over microplastic pollution and the COVID‑19 pandemic’s impacts on small‑scale fisheries. Key thematic clusters center on marine policy, fishery management, fishing community, public health, and plastic waste, with a notable shift from purely economic valuations toward integrated health and social‑equity perspectives. The United States and the United Kingdom lead in productivity and citations, whereas Indonesia shows moderate output but low impact due to localized scopes and limited international visibility. The research aligns strongly with SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well‑being), underscoring the need for evidence‑based policies that simultaneously safeguard marine ecosystems and coastal population health. Future research should prioritise ocean justice, mental health of fishers, and gender‑responsive interventions in developing countries.