Out & About Spring 2018

However, before committing to becoming a fish-keeper, it is important to consider your current lifestyle and choose what works best for you. For example, if you have a busy lifestyle and are constantly on the go, there are services out there that can completely eliminate the need to maintain the fish tank yourself, removing this additional concern and ensuring you get only the best from your investment. There are even services that build and create the perfect tank to fit in your home, making it a more personal and one-of-a-kind experience. For those who want an alternative to fighting the cold weather, a fish tank might one way of keeping the winter blues at bay and even reducing the likelihood of being affected from a serious condition. As there is no clear answer as to where happiness lies, perhaps investing time and energy into finding a balance between nature and marine life will help to boost wellbeing and raise spirits throughout the winter season.

Study I n 2015, academics from the National Marine Aquarium, and Plymouth and Exeter Universities, studied the physical and mental responses of people looking at tanks with varying numbers of fish. Researchers discovered that watching the fish swim around led to ‘noticeable reductions’ in blood pressure and heart rate, and the greater number of fish being watched kept people’s attention longer and improved their moods. The team carrying out the study were able to conduct their observations while a 550,000 litre tank at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth was being refurbished and fish were being introduced at different stages. This allowed researchers to monitor their subjects’ moods, heart rates and blood pressures as fish numbers gradually increased. Deborah Cracknell, a PhD student and lead researcher at the National Marine Aquarium which conducted the study, said: “Fish tanks and displays are often associated with attempts at calming patients in doctors’ surgeries and dental waiting rooms. “This study has, for the first time, provided robust evidence that ‘doses’ of exposure to underwater settings could actually have a positive impact on people’s wellbeing.” One of the outcomes of the study could be the use of aquariums in highly-stressed workplaces as well, encouraging other ways of bringing the ‘outside world’ closer to our daily lives. The study suggests that aquariums could offer a number of previously undiscovered benefits – perhaps providing an oasis of calm in times of higher work stress and crowded urban living. The study showed improvements for health and wellbeing in highly managed settings, providing an exciting possibility for people who aren’t able to access outdoor natural environments. Bringing ‘outside inside’ clearly improves the wellbeing of people without ready access to nature.

SAD has sometimes been mistakenly thought of as a ‘lighter’ version of depression, yet in reality it is simply a different version of the same illness

Matt Amin is managing director of Amin Aquatics tel: 07891 586862 email: info@aminaquatics.co.uk facebook: www.facebook.com/AminAquatics twitter: @Aminaquatics

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