The February 2016 issue of the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK features a special edition on Oceans and Human Health. The EMB contributed to this issue with the paper ‘An economic perspective on oceans and human health’, highlighting the lack of economic data available in Europe regarding ocean and human health impacts and the importance of developing this area as the Blue Growth strategy progresses. The context for the paper is described in an accompanying blog post titled Public health costs and the ocean. Other papers in the special issue cover ocean medicines, the Blue gym effect, harmful algal blooms, marine bathing and infectious diseases, seafood and law. The Oceans and Human Health special issue is freely accessible until August 2016.