Stony Brook’s SoMAS Lecture Explores Public Health Implications of Seafood Consumption
STONY BROOK, N.Y., May 3, 2012 – Is eating seafood a good or bad thing? The answer could be both from the information that will be presented at a public lectured sponsored by Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences(SoMAS). “Public Health Implications of Seafood Consumption,” presented by Dr. Jaymie R. Meliker, Assistant Professor, Graduate Program in Public Health, Department of Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, on May 4. The lecture is open to all and a reception follows. It will be held at 7:30 PM on SBU’s Southampton Campus in the Duke Lecture Hall-Chancellors Hall.
This lecture will discuss risks, benefits, sustainability, and cost as they relate to different species of seafood; gaps in the scientific literature; and the Long Island Study of Seafood Consumption, an ongoing study at Stony Brook University, to assess risks and benefits among avid fish consumers.
“Choosing which types of seafood to eat is not simple,” says Dr. Meliker. “In addition to balancing cost and quality, as we do for all foods, the educated consumer might also consider sustainability of the fish species, and human health risks and benefits. Seafood provide important nutrients, most notably n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to confer benefits to brain and visual system development, and reduce risk of heart disease. However, seafood can also be a source of contaminants, perhaps most importantly, methylmercury, a known neurotoxicant.”
Dr. Meliker will also touch upon participant eligibility for ongoing Long Island Study of Seafood Consumption. The study is funded by The Gelfond Fund for Mercury Research & Outreach, which supports research at Stony Brook that aims to improve the understanding of how mercury cycles in our environment and the health effects of methylmercury from fish consumption.
For more about the lecture and Dr. Meliker see the SoMAS Public Lecture link.
