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NOAA
Seafood is an excellent source of important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Not to mention quite tasty and relatively simple to prepare.
On the other hand, nearly every fish, shell fish or other creature taken from the water contains some to a considerable amount of mercury. The U.S. Geological Survey released a report this August showing just that.
Especially in a region as closely tied to the water and its products as Hampton Roads, it is important to know which seafood options have the lowest levels of mercury contamination.
Clams, oysters, bluefish and croaker have generally low levels of mercury, according to data compiled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Crabs and tuna have moderate levels. King mackerel, shark, swordfish and tilefish have the highest levels.
Here is the complete FDA list of known mercury contamination in the different species of fish and shellfish. The most important number sits in the first column, and the number separating low from moderate is 0.3. That figure represents 3 micrograms of mercury per gram of an animal's bodyweight.
So part of the take-home message is that even seafood high in mercury really have a very small amount of the element. The Natural Resources Defense Council offers a calculator for figuring out how much mercury you consume each time you eat certain fish.
Another thing to keep in mind that while mercury should not be in your body, it is. Mercury poisoning, however, occurs rarely. Very high or especially long-term exposure appears necessary to cause harm.
Most people should be able to regularly eat seafood once or twice a week without experiencing any ill effects. Pregnant women and young children should eat less seafood than other people because of the weight-to-dose ratio for fetuses and kids.
So the best answer to how much fish to eat seems to be, as with most things, is not too much.
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