SEAHEALS - Xarxa Transfronterera de Salut Blava

This initiative aims to create a trans-Pyrenees blue health network in order to study and scientifically validate the psychological and physiological benefits of marine activities and to disseminate them via a digital platform that promotes this territory.

A scientific project around the benefits of the marine environment

SeaHeals is part of the emerging field of “blue health”, which studies the impact of marine environments on well-being and overall health. Led by research teams from the University of Barcelona, the project aims in particular to:

Analyze the effects of contact with the sea on mental health

Evaluate the benefits in terms of well-being and quality of life

Structuring therapeutic approaches integrating the marine environment

Develop a robust scientific methodology on a cross-border scale

The University of Barcelona ensures the overall coordination of the project, including methodology, scientific analysis and data management.

USSAP expertise at the service of the clinical component

The USSAP occupies a central place in the operational and clinical implementation of the project. Under the responsibility of Dr Charles Fattal, chief physician at the Bouffard Vercelli Center in Perpignan, the teams intervene in a coordinated manner on several dimensions: physical health, functional rehabilitation, disability management and rehabilitation pathways.

As a partner site, the USSAP guarantees the quality of the collection of clinical data, whether objective or subjective. This involves the rigorous performance of respiratory function tests (spirometry), continuous monitoring by telemetry and oximetry, as well as the standardized administration of effort and pain assessment scales.

The organization of the sections is thus structured around two main axes:

The quality of clinical data collection (objective and subjective),

Physical health and disability.

This contribution makes it possible to anchor the project in concrete care practices and to measure its real impact, particularly on the effects of activities in the marine environment on patients and users.

A partnership anchored in the territory

The SeaHeals project is based on close collaboration with stakeholders in the field, notably the Som Mar association, which develops accessible and inclusive nautical activities on the Catalan coast. In the first phases of the project, a mobilization of nautical clubs and structures linked to the sea will be undertaken in order to:

Create a network of local partners,

Facilitate access to marine activities,

Experiment with intervention protocols in real conditions.

Structuring European support: the POCTEFA program

SeaHeals is funded as part of the European POCTEFA 2021-2027 program (Spain-France-Andorra Territorial Cooperation Operational Program). This system aims to strengthen cross-border cooperation around innovative projects in key areas such as health, environment and territorial development. The project benefits from 65% funding, or €1,060,643, to support: scientific research; coordination between partners; field experiments. Ref. POCTEFA SEAHEALS EFA186/06

A new approach to health

With SeaHeals, the USSAP contributes to the emergence of new therapeutic perspectives, fully integrating the natural resources of the territory. This project illustrates the association's ability to be part of ambitious European dynamics, serving health innovation and improving care pathways.

This research, which strengthens the links between science, public health, sustainability and cohesion in coastal areas, will contribute to the conservation of the marine environment as a source of health and will promote sustainable tourism associated with well-being. It will also contribute to the development of the Côtes Catalanes, Vermeille and the Audois coastline.

Original news: https://www.ussap.fr/actualites/seaheals-lussap-au-coeur-dun-projet-europeen-innovant-sur-la-sante-bleue/