The past and future of humankind is tied to our ocean. Marine social science can help us to understand these links and how human behaviour is key to ensuring that the ocean has a healthy and thriving future.
The past and future of humankind is tied to our ocean. Marine social science can help us to understand these links and how human behaviour is key to ensuring that the ocean has a healthy and thriving future.
In this 2nd Ocean Conversations event, hosted by the National Marine Aquarium, the focus will be on Water and Wellbeing. The evening aims to foster understanding of the impact of water on wellbeing and to celebrate the wild swimming community of Plymouth.
The event will include time for socialising, a bar, talks in front of the NMA's Eddystone tank from local wild swimmers, marine biologists and blue health practitioners, as well as underwater virtual reality and water safety tips from the RNLI.
Dr Eva McGrath, a social researcher from the University of Plymouth will be exhibiting and sharing details about her research with swimming communities across Devon and Cornwall.
Eva uses creative methods with communities to research narratives about water. Last year she led the Marine Institute funded project ‘Immersion: voices of Plymouth sea swimmers’, which invited a group of regular sea swimmers at Firestone Bay (Devils Point) to record their reflections, observations and experiences of sea swimming through a personal diary. Alongside Dr Laura Denning, they then led workshops with the swimmers on themes including health and wellbeing, water quality and interactions with bird/marine life. An exhibition was held in July, bringing the city to the sea, the sea to the city and collating the diary entries from swimmers into a creative documentary film, alongside a unique series of Sea Portraits of the swimmers.
Photographs from this project will be shown as part of this Ocean Conversations event.
Currently, Eva is using similar creative methods to explore pregnant women’s experiences of sea swimming, in a NERC funded collaboration with Professor Jill Shawe, ‘Immersion: exploring maternal experiences of sea swimming – bridging health and humanities’. While cold water swimming has become increasingly popular, inferring mental and physical health benefits, little is known about women who continue to swim through their pregnancy and the effect on their pregnancy. Through poetry, photography and personal stories, Eva will communicate what the sea means to people; ever pertinent to understand as Plymouth becomes a National Marine Park.
Visit the NMA website for full programme details and to book your ticket.
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