‘Best day since the bad germs came’: Exploring changing experiences in and the value of coastal blue space during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Fylde Coast case study

Abstract

Blue spaces have long been associated with beneficially impacting human health and wellbeing. This article reflects upon the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s experiences in coastal blue space and the health and wellbeing benefits derived from exposure to the space. Undertaken after the UK’s first lockdown during Summer 2020, the work employed a qualitative mixed methods approach through a survey and interviews to provide an in-depth case study of people’s experiences in and value of coastal blue space before and during the pandemic on the Fylde Coast in Lancashire. Findings show that participants valued the physical and mental health benefits derived from routine visits to coastal space, stimulated by emotional connections, a sense of escape and sensorial immersion. However, a busier coast in the lockdown’s aftermath provoked a changed experience in coastal space for many participants due to a detachment from coastal space and the provoking of negative emotional experiences driven by heightened fears, reduced safety and increased litter. Mitigatory responses, through a changed coastal routine, and reflective responses, through a changed value of the coast, were found, the latter due to an increased appreciation of the health benefits from coastal exposure for some participants. Importantly, the findings highlight the need for coastal management to account for these experiences in protecting the health value of coastal space.

Understanding Health Outcomes from Exposure to Blue Space Resources: Towards a Mixed Methods Framework for Analysis

“…Research across twenty European countries discovered that at the beginning of the pandemic, there was a significant increase in the number of online searches for topics relating to nature and the environment, which suggests an increased awareness or appreciation of nature at the population level [88]. During the initial phases of the pandemic, blue spaces were associated with providing stress relief and mental wellbeing at the individual level [89,90]. However, for many, access to blue spaces was restricted during the pandemic due to public health interventions; this, in turn, affected overall wellbeing levels and altered the therapeutic nature of these environments for individuals [91,92].…”

Contextual Factors and Programme Theories Associated with Implementing Blue Prescription Programmes: A Systematic Realist Review

“…An increase in health-related use of blue/ green spaces during lockdowns suggested that these spaces helped people cope with mental health stressors [25][26][27]. Populations sampled in the UK and Spain associated exposure to nature with mental health improvements and better sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic [28,29]; and fewer mental and physical symptoms suggest a bufering efect on the impacts of isolation [30][31][32][33]. Large proportions of blue/green spaces were also attributed to lower COVID-19-related cases and deaths in Poland [34].…”

Beyond the Picture: An Analysis of Emotional Attachment in Relation to Meaningful Natural Spaces.

“…Further, studies on coastal environments in relation to COVID-19, found the coast made people feel happy and peaceful before COVID-19, but these positive associations decreased as spaces became crowded and risk to physical health (i.e. probability of infection) increased (Earl et al, 2022). Interview data of coastal residents during COVID-19 lockdowns revealed a fragmented sense of home during lockdowns due to the inability to visit the coast, and this lack of attachment had a detrimental impact on their overall wellbeing (Jellard & Bell, 2021).…”