Two Queensland academics are questioning whether surfers and scuba divers are an overlooked at-risk group for degenerative eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

As a Research Fellow at Bond University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Dr Davinia Beaver is focussed on generating photoreceptor cells from human pluripotent stem cells. The ultimate aim of this “complex but exciting area of regenerative medicine” is to one day contribute to stem cell-derived therapies for AMD.

“This public health project came from a much more personal place. I spend a lot of time in the ocean, as do my family and friends, and I started wondering about the long-term impact of sun exposure on eye health in people like us. When we searched the scientific literature, we were surprised to find virtually nothing on the topic. That lack of information prompted me to look deeper and begin exploring this further.

“There have been lab studies to show that exposing retinal cells to UV and blue light (BL) is detrimental for the cell’s health. And while the impact of ultraviolet light to the anterior eye – the lens and cornea – is well established, we questioned if the cumulative exposure of UV has any effect on the retina,” Dr Beaver told mivision.

To satisfy her curiosity, together with colleague Carly Hudson, she “went looking” for relevant studies “and there are a few, but none in our surfing and diving population”.

She said conditions like AMD, with its multifaceted aetiology, list UV exposure as a potential risk factor but the actual evidence as to how UV and blue light (BL) impact the retina was scarce.

“I can’t tell you what we’re likely to find. It’s a biologically plausible hypothesis at this stage that the cumulative effect over years and years of surfing and diving may have some effect, but it also may not.”

WATER SPORTS RISK UNDER-REPRESENTED IN RESEARCH

Dr Beaver and Ms Hudson wrote a commentary, published in Eye,1 highlighting the lack of available research on ocular UV and blue light exposure in water sport participants.

“Every day, across the world’s coastlines, millions of individuals enter the ocean in pursuit of recreation, connection, and challenge. From surfers waiting in stillness for the next wave to divers submerged just beneath the glittering surface, these individuals are uniquely positioned at the intersection of two environmental factors – sunlight and seawater – that may, in combination and over time, adversely affect ocular health,” the pair wrote.

“There is some literature on the adverse effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and blue light on ocular tissues. These range from pterygium and photokeratitis to… AMD.

“Research has established risk to ocular health in outdoor workers, welders, and those living in high UV-index regions, affecting the anterior part of the eye and potentially the retina. However, populations whose exposure is mediated through water (surfers, scuba divers), remain underrepresented in ophthalmic research.”

They said sunlight at sea behaves differently from on land, due to reflections from the ocean’s surface. For divers who spend extended time underwater, the cumulative exposure to blue light “may not be trivial”.

“The lack of ocular research with surfers and divers represents a potential blind spot in our understanding of the environmental impact on eye health.”

They warned that the “current absence of data on ocular UV and BL exposure in water sport participants should not be interpreted as evidence of negligible risk”.

“Rather, it may highlight a gap in our understanding of environmental contributors to ocular disease. Given the intensifying effects of climate change and ozone fluctuation on UV exposure, individuals engaged in prolonged aquatic activities may face under-recognised ocular risks.

“We encourage research communities to systematically evaluate these issues, using best practice high-quality research approaches. Proactive investigation now may help to inform preventive strategies and mitigate long-term visual morbidity in these environmentally exposed groups.”

Reference

1. Beaver D, Hudson C. Are surfers and scuba divers an overlooked at-risk group for age-related macular degeneration? Eye (Lond). 2025 Jul 21. doi: 10.1038/s41433-025-03941-9.