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"In some cases, cheaper types of fish were substituted for expensive species. In others, fish that consumers have been urged to avoid because stocks are depleted, putting the species or a fishery at risk, was identified as a type of fish that is not threatened. Although such mislabeling violates laws protecting consumers, it is hard to detect. Some of the findings present public health concerns. Thirteen types of fish, including tilapia and tilefish, were falsely identified as red snapper. Tilefish contains such high mercury levels that the federal Food and Drug Administration advises women who are pregnant or nursing and young children not to eat it."

Northeast - Red Tide/Shellfish Closure Extension Through December 31, 2011 At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NOAA Fisheries Service has extended the temporary paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) closure through December 31, 2011, due to the presence of high levels of the toxin that causes PSP. See a chart of the closure area. NOAA Fisheries Service may terminate the emergency regulations at an earlier date by publishing a notice of termination in the Federal Register if information becomes available indicating such action is warranted.

"Scientific Workforce NSF Touts Family-Friendly Policies as Boon to Women 1. Jeffrey Mervis Young women are forever asking Meg Urry, an astrophysicist at Yale University, if it's possible "to have a successful scientific career and a family." A tenured professor with both, Urry tells them "yes." Perhaps more telling, however, is that the issue doesn't seem to interest half of her students. "I've never been asked that question by a man," she says. This week, the National Science Foundation (NSF) rolled out a set of family-friendly policies that it hopes will reduce the number of young women who jettison scientific careers because of responsibilities outside the lab. "Too many women give up because of conflicts between their desire to start a family and their desire to ramp up their careers," says John Holdren, the president's science adviser and head of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. It was a rare moment in the spotlight for the low-profile basic research agency: First Lady Michelle Obama announced the policies at a White House ceremony touting the importance of women to the nation's economic recovery and, in particular, the need to improve the proportion of women in the so-called STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce. Figure View larger version: * In this page * In a new window Lending a hand. First Lady Michelle Obama applauds the work of young women in science at a White House event. "CREDIT: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION" The new policies will allow both male and female grant recipients to defer an award for up to 1 year or receive a no-cost extension of an existing grant. NSF also hopes to increase its use of "virtual reviews" of grant proposals so that scientists don't need to travel as often to the agency's Arlington, Virginia, headquarters. The only change with any price tag attached is a new program of supplemental awards to investigators going on family leave, allowing them to hi

Produced by: Plastic Debris, Rivers to Sea Project Algalita and California Coastal Commission Funding provided by the State Water Resources Control Board June 2006 pdf document, 91 pages Introduction - The California Marine Debris Action Plan of 1990 - A State Mandate to Eliminate Marine Debris is Necessary - The Plastic Debris, Rivers to Sea Project - The Action Plan - The Actions Recommended in this Plan - Process and Prioritization Part I: Marine Debris - Sources, Composition, and Quantities - What is Marine Debris? - Land versus Ocean Sources - Abundance of Plastic in the Marine Environment - Quantities of Plastic Debris Increasing Significantly in Oceans - Sources and Composition of Debris Found on Beaches - Trash and Debris in Stormwater and Urban Runoff - Other Research Characterizing Trash in Urban Runoff - Distribution and Composition of Marine Debris on California's Coast Part II: Marine Debris - Impacts - Ingestion and Entanglement - Ecosystem Impacts - Debris as a Transport Mechanism for Toxics and Invasive Species - Economic Impacts Part III: Current Efforts to Address Land-Based Discharges of Marine Debris - Federal Programs and Initiatives - State Programs and Initiatives - Regional Programs and Initiatives - Local Government Programs and Initiatives - National Public Interest Groups - California Public Interest Groups and Associations - Industry Initiatives

"Will Deepwater Horizon Set a New Standard for Catastrophe? 1. Richard Kerr, 2. Eli Kintisch and 3. Erik Stokstad Summary The fiery destruction of an oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April may have triggered one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. The impact of the crisis, which began with the deaths of 11 workers and then simmered for several days before an expanding oil slick grabbed worldwide attention, promises to test the federal government's ability to protect habitat, wildlife, and the economic well-being of a four-state region on a scale never before imagined. "