CEC – Project Summary While significant scientific progress is being made in understanding interactions between ocean contaminants and seafood, the links to human health have been less clear and information for many contaminants is lacking or unclear. This dilemma can leave people uncertain of what to recommend or eat, potentially to the detriment of good health. Needed is best science and direct engagement with the multiple stakeholder communities surrounding seafood production and consumption, communities broadly defined as public health and marine resource agencies, scientists, seafood harvesters and markets, and consumers (including public health professionals, community based non-profits, schools, chefs, and the public). The goal of the Community Engagement Core (CEC) for the Scripps Center for Oceans and Human Health (SCOHH) is therefore to develop, implement, and evaluate a community based, multi-directional environmental health literacy education and engagement program. The ultimate goal of this project is to protect the public by limiting their exposure to marine contaminants and pollutants while highlighting the health benefits of consuming fish. This will be achieved through increased environmental health literacy, including increasing our understanding of the needs and barriers to accessing and using information about seafood, dialogue and participation with decision makers and stakeholder groups, and ultimately helping people to make healthier informed choices around eating fish. To help with this, the science will be translated in culturally-appropriate ways within the broader context of seafood sustainability and safety, and disseminated widely for stakeholder use using an innovative mix of communication tools, techniques and storytellers. The CECs specific aims are to: (1) Build capacity for multi-directional dialogue and participation, including assembly of a Community Engagement Advisory Team (CEAT) of representatives from seafood safety stakeholder groups (one member joint with SCOHH External Advisory Committee (EAC)), listening sessions and development of engagement strategies; (2) Implement strategic engagement programming including workshops focused on the science–public needs–policy continuum for each SCOHH project, directed stakeholder engagement, seafood contaminant/nutrition culinary education; and (3) Strengthen environmental health literacy by integrating the results of the SCOHH’s and other relevant scientific research into existing and new targeted communications materials, convening and participating in public facing events, and strategically increasing participation by SCOHH in stakeholder and public facting events. The CEC’s outcomes will include lasting partnerships with the CEC, SCOHH project scientists, and seafood stakeholder communities that will promote bi-directional knowledge exchange, collaborative identification of research and outreach needs and priorities, and co-development of tractable options for im...