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Fish are healthy and loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids -- a key nutrient during pregnancy -- but some fish including tuna, can contain toxic contaminants like mercury, PCBs and dioxins, which have may cause learning problems, breast cancer, or other health problems. These contaminants can pass from the mother to child during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

On top of that, much seafood is being overfished toward extinction, making our oceans seriously messed up.

What's a consumer -- especially a pregnant woman -- to do?

The Monterrey Bay Aquarium knows. It has crunched the numbers, considering both environmental and health data, and released a list of the best fish for women of childbearing age (since contaminants can build up inside our bodies, it's important for women to watch their diets long before they think about getting pregnant). These eight fish are the most nutritious, with the highest levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, while having low levels of both mercury and PCBs. For good measure, they are fished sustainably, so eating these fish won't contribute to the decline of ocean health.

8 Safe Nutritious Pregnancy Fish

Note that the method and location of the fishery matters: A wild-caught salmon from Alaska will have a very different (and far superior) nutrition, contaminant and environmental profile than a farmed salmon, for instance. Also note that the American Pregnancy Association recommends against consuming raw shellfish or smoked fish -- whatever it's nutrition and contaminant profile -- during pregnancy.

1. Albacore Tuna (troll- or pole-caught, from the U.S. or British Columbia). Tuna is a top source of Vitamin B6, which helps maintain healthy blood, muscle and skin.

2. Mussels (farmed). Try them in this Dungeness crab and mussel chowder.

3. Oysters (farmed). A true superfood, oysters are a top source of iron and Vitamin B12. Try them in roasted with shallots and herbs, chowder or fresh, with a champagne vinaigrette. Note: The American Pregnancy Association recommends against consuming raw shellfish during pregnancy.

4. Pacific Sardines (wild-caught). A top source of calcium, try them in this sardine and potato salad with Romesco sauce.

5. Pink Shrimp (wild-caught, from Oregon). Try shrimp with Asian bbq sauce, shrimp and rice casserole, spicy shrimp tacos, shrimp spring rolls, shrimp and tomato salad or lemony shrimp risotto.

6. Rainbow Trout (farmed). Try trout, a top source of Vitamin B12 with

beet-horseradish yogurt sauce and green garlic oil, with egg in a smoked* trout salad, as a garnish to pea soup, or with this delectable meal: filleted trout with crispy sage and prosciutto, early summer vegetable beurre blanc, wilted spinach and potato puree. Note: The American Pregnancy Association recommends against consuming smoked fish during pregnancy.

7. Salmon (wild-caught, from Alaska). A top source of calcium and Vitamin B12, try one of these eight wild Alaskan salmon recipes.

8. Spot Prawns (wild-caught, from British Columbia). Try them as a substitute for shrimp, or in one of these recipes.

6 More Safe Pregnancy Fish

The Monterrey Bay Aquarium lists six additional seafood choices as safe pregnancy fish -- they just aren't as high in Omega-3 fatty acids:

Arctic Char (farmed). Try substituting char in most salmon recipes, or try these Arctic char recipes.

Bay Scallops (farmed). Try them seared with saffron couscous or with fennel and Pernod in this rotini.

Crayfish (farmed, from the U.S.). Substitute crayfish for shrimp in most recipes, or try them in these recipes.

Dungeness Crab (wild-caught, from California, Oregon or Washington). A top source of Vitamin B12, try Dungeness crab in this Dungeness crab and mussel chowder.

Longfin Squid (wild-caught, from the U.S. Atlantic). Go beyond fried calamari with these squid recipes.

Pacific Cod (longline-caught, from Alaska). Try cod broiled with miso glaze.

More Safe Sustainable Seafood Tips

For more healthy sustainable fish options, consult these Web sites: The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program, Environmental Defense's Oceans Alive campaign, Fishwise, and the Seafood Choices Alliance.

And look for these labels at the fish market, though be aware that Consumer's Union says none is "highly meaningful":

Dolphin Safe in most cases certifies that tuna is caught without killing dolphins, but only applies to the primary fishing grounds in the eastern Pacific, not to tuna caught elsewhere. FishWise is very useful for choosing sustainably caught fish and "somewhat meaningful" for determining contaminant levels.

in most cases certifies that tuna is caught without killing dolphins, but only applies to the primary fishing grounds in the eastern Pacific, not to tuna caught elsewhere. FishWise is very useful for choosing sustainably caught fish and "somewhat meaningful" for determining contaminant levels. Marine Stewardship Council is "somewhat meaningful"; while it provides consumers information about which fish are sustainably harvested, the standards used to determine what is "sustainable" can be inconsistent.

is "somewhat meaningful"; while it provides consumers information about which fish are sustainably harvested, the standards used to determine what is "sustainable" can be inconsistent. Safe Harbor is "somewhat meaningful" for choosing fish that are less contaminated (below median level) with mercury, but is not useful for comparing mercury levels between species. In other words, hypothetically, you may choose a Safe Harbor-labeled tuna that is less contaminated than other tuna, but it could be still more contaminated than an unlabeled swordfish.

is "somewhat meaningful" for choosing fish that are less contaminated (below median level) with mercury, but is not useful for comparing mercury levels between species. In other words, hypothetically, you may choose a Safe Harbor-labeled tuna that is less contaminated than other tuna, but it could be still more contaminated than an unlabeled swordfish. Seafood Safe is "somewhat meaningful" for choosing fish that are lower in two common contaminants, PCBs and mercury. The label relies on data from the tests of random samples of fish.

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