Support for activities related to the 13th International Conference of Mercury as a Global Pollutant

汞是一种全球性污染物，其在生物圈中的存在因人类活动而增加。海洋在汞的全球循环中扮演着重要的角色。了解汞及其甲基化形式，特别是甲基汞的生物地球化学，对于了解气候变化和人类活动对海产品中甲基汞积累的作用非常重要。水生生物中甲基汞水平升高是一个主要关切，因为食用受污染的鱼类和贝类会对人类健康和野生动物产生重大影响。为了促进信息交流和综合的论坛，科学家们于1990年举行了第一次国际汞会议，自那以来已成为每2-3年举行一次的定期会议。现在被称为作为全球污染物的汞的国际会议(ICMGP)，第十三届ICMGP计划于2017年7月在RI的普罗维登斯举行。这将是该会议第三次在美国举行。该奖项由美国国家科学基金会的四个不同部门提供，主要以旅行支持和指导学生的形式提供与美国协调这次会议有关的支持。会议上计划的指导活动将为学生提供一个与知名和年轻科学家互动的绝佳机会，并在发表他们的研究、撰写简历、建立网络和寻找就业以及撰写赠款以获得研究资金方面获得洞察力。该会议是传播汞研究新成果的主要论坛，并促进了研究和合成方面的国际合作。最后，由于海鲜、淡水鱼和其他食品中的甲基汞含量是对人类和环境健康关切的一个重要驱动因素，会议上拟议的活动将增进了解，并导致更好地管理这一元素的所有形式的潜在健康影响，特别是考虑到气候变化的额外影响，这些影响还没有得到很好的理解。会议的活动还将努力与部落和其他团体以及与会议没有直接关系的医生建立联系，并加强记者和科学家之间的互动，以交流科学研究成果。

Mercury is a global contaminant whose presence in the biosphere has been increased by human activity. The ocean plays an important role in the global cycling of mercury. Understanding the biogeochemistry of mercury, and its methylated forms, particularly methylmercury, is important for understanding the role of climate change and human activities on the accumulation of methylmercury in seafood. Elevated levels of methylmercury in aquatic organisms are a major concern as there are substantial human health and wildlife effects associated with consuming contaminated fish and shellfish. To promote a forum for exchange of information and synthesis, scientists in 1990 held the first international mercury conference, which has since become a regular conference every 2-3 years. Now known as the International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP), the thirteenth ICMGP is planned for Providence, RI in July 2017. This will be the third time the meeting has been held in the U.S. This award, with contributions from four different divisions of the National Science Foundation, provides support related to U.S. coordination of this conference, primarily in the form of travel support for and mentoring of students. Planned mentoring activities at the meeting will provide students an excellent opportunity to interact with established and young scientists and to gain insights into publishing their research, writing resumes, networking and finding employment, and writing grants to obtain funding for research. The meeting is the primary forum for the dissemination of new results of mercury research, and promotes international collaboration in research and synthesis. Finally, as methylmercury levels in seafood, freshwater fish and other foods are an important driver for concerns about human and environmental health, the proposed activities at the conference will enhance understanding and lead to better management of the potential health impacts of this element, in all its forms, especially in light of the added impacts, which are not well understood, of climate change. Activities at the meeting will also endeavor to build links with tribal and other groups, and medical practitioners not directly related to the meeting, and to enhance interaction between journalists and scientists to communicate the results of scientific research.