“It’s protective against heart disease, cancer (and) the omega fatty acids in fish are anti-inflammatory,” she said. “There’s research being done on (omega fatty acids’) treatment of depression.”

The MDCH guide released Thursday included a statewide mercury advisory for all inland lakes, reservoirs and impoundments.

“Mercury is in the atmosphere and it has to settle somewhere, so it’s settling in the water,” said Robert McCann, press secretary for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Mercury can be emitted in a few different ways, including through chlorine plants, of which there are only a handful still in existence, and by coal-fired power plants.

When mercury is present in the atmosphere it is present in water, which makes its way into plants and then into animals, said Katharine Burnham, media director for the Environmental Defense Fund in Washington, D.C.

“I actually don’t eat fish, but I used to — I just became a vegetarian,” said Kristin Long, a dietetics sophomore.

“(Mercury) did become a concern to me because I was eating fish a lot when the hype about mercury got bigger, and it was mainly tuna (that I was eating).”

The health benefits of fish are worth the risk of minimal mercury consumption, except for young children and women who are pregnant, may become pregnant or are nursing, Burnham said. The key is to select fish wisely, she said.

Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration place warning labels on fish for individuals with a higher risk, said Burnham.

“Mercury bioaccumulates, so larger fish like swordfish and tuna should really just be avoided, because they have the most mercury in them,” Burnham said.

“There are some really great seafood choices out there, and you can avoid mercury-heavy fish.”