Exposure to natural environments can have calming and stress-reducing effects on humans. Moreover, previous studies suggest that these benefits may be greater in areas with higher species richness. Our study took advantage of a “natural experiment” to examine people’s behavioral, physiological, and psychological reactions to increases in levels of marine biota in a large aquarium exhibit during three stages of restocking: Unstocked, Partially stocked, and Fully stocked. We found that increased biota levels were associated with longer spontaneous viewing of the exhibit, greater reductions in heart rate, greater increases in self-reported mood, and higher interest. We suggest that higher biota levels, even in managed settings, may be associated with important well-being and health benefits, particularly for individuals not able to access the natural analogues of managed environments.

中文翻译：

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海洋生物群与心理健康

接触自然环境可以对人类产生镇静和减轻压力的作用。此外，之前的研究表明，在物种丰富度较高的地区，这些好处可能更大。我们的研究利用“自然实验”来检查人们在重新放养的三个阶段（未放养、部分放养和完全放养）对大型水族馆展览中海洋生物群水平增加的行为、生理和心理反应。我们发现，生物群水平的增加与更长时间的自发观看展览、心率降低幅度更大、自我报告的情绪更大程度地增加以及更高的兴趣有关。我们建议，即使在管理环境中，较高的生物群水平也可能与重要的福祉和健康益处相关，