The new Gelfond Fund for Mercury Research & Outreach "aims to improve the understanding of how mercury cycles in our environment and the health effects of methylmercury from fish consumption."

The program was initiated by the prestigious Stony Brook University with a major grant by Richard Gelfond, the CEO of IMAX films. Mr. Gelfond got mercury poisoning from his high fish consumption. He ate fish 10 to 15 times a week and (after a frustrating period in which his doctors could not tell what was wrong with him) was diagnosed with methylmercury poisoning. Now largely recovered, he has given a grant to his alma mater, Stony Brook University, to support research and educational programs aimed at increasing public and physician awareness of this toxic risk.

"Gelfond's mercury research center is certain to help advance the research and raise the profile of the mercury-in-fish problem to help people make better fish choices," said Teri Shore, Program Director for GotMercury.org. "More importantly, Stony Brook will surely provide policymakers with critical new and independent information about mercury in fish that can be used to revise seafood toxicity and consumption standards that are decades out of date."

The GotMercury.org calculator is a link under the Fish Advice tab on the comprehensive Gelfond Fund website.