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KidSafe Seafood Highlights Seafood Consumption At Global Mercury Conference

SeaWeb’s KidSafe Seafood program attended the 10^th annual International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP). The conference convened scientists, government agencies and not-for-profit organizations, among others, from over forty different countries to share and discuss the latest science and issues related to mercury.

The conference, held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada July 24-29, 2011 offered the opportunity to learn about different facets of mercury as the preeminent international forum for discussion around the most recent and important advances in mercury research. This year’s conference theme was “Air, Land, Sea and Me,” exploring the linkages between the sources, transport and health risks associated with mercury in all forms.

KidSafe Seafood presented a poster at the conference as part of the special series dedicated to the socio-economic factors affecting mercury exposure and risk. KidSafe’s poster provided information on the program as an applied area of mercury research, generating discussion around the many complexities and importance of consumption advisories. SeaWeb’s participation at the conference provided an opportunity to connect different stakeholders from scientists to public health officials on issues related to seafood consumption. KidSafe Seafood drew upon many of the topics covered at the conference, encouraging the scientific community to think about how they might better support science-based advice for consumers through their own research and communication efforts.

Sessions looked at both global and local trends, addressing the chemical and biological processes that dictate the impact of mercury on aquatic ecosystems. Other sessions addressed the connections between human health and seafood consumption, highlighting the ecological and physiological factors that influence mercury concentrations in the natural environment, throughout the food web, and in humans.

Find out more about the conference >>

Read SeaWeb’s blog entries from the conference >>