Recent tests of 20 New York restaurant’s sushi samples concluded mercury levels in tuna sushi surpassed the Food and Drug Administration’s safety limit.

And Lisa Eberhart, University Dining dietitian, said such mercury consumption could have real, lasting effects for students, including memory loss.

“The problem for college students is that they often eat a lot of canned tuna,” she said, which can contain almost as much mercury as sushi.

Albacore tuna, the variety used in canned white tuna and for most sushi because of its large size, often contains higher mercury amounts, according to Eberhart.

“The larger tuna are at the top of the food chain and have eaten lots of the smaller fish that contain mercury,” she said. “Generally, the bigger the tuna, the more it’ll have.”

While Eberhart said sushi usually contains higher concentrations of mercury than its canned counterpart, both forms raise health concerns.

Maria Rock, junior in civil engineering, said she enjoys sushi, but prefers shrimp or crab rolls that contain lower levels of mercury, if any.

“I don’t really eat the real stuff,” she said. “I like California rolls — the ones with shrimp and crab.”

According to Rock, she is not too concerned about her mercury blood levels for this reason and because she is aware of healthful portions for canned tuna.

“I read an article in Self [magazine] … and you can have a certain number of ounces [of tuna] a week,” she said.

Eberhart agreed and recommended no more than two-thirds of a can of white, or albacore, tuna or more than 12 ounces of canned light tuna, which consists primarily of smaller skipjack tuna, per week.

“Cooking doesn’t change the mercury,” she said, even though sushi still contains more mercury than cooked tuna.

“Sushi has more … because it’s just a really small piece of a really large fish,” she said. “But not every fish contains mercury. There are other options [with sushi].”

But Eberhart said monitoring the consumption of sushi is important.

“Moderation in all things,” she said.

The FDA has also attempted to inform the public about the dangers of high mercury levels, especially for pregnant women and small children, over the past three to four years, according to Eberhart. According to FDA standards, mercury levels in fish products can only reach one part per million before it intervenes.

But despite the drawbacks to high-mercury tuna, Eberhart said there are healthy alternatives.

“Most fish are really low in fat, a great protein source and high in omega-3 fatty acids,” she said. “Tuna isn’t a great source of omega-3 fatty acids … [but] salmon is.”

Eberhart said she hopes students won’t be confused by conflicting messages.

“It’s difficult. We’re asking people to eat more seafood, but then we see the health risks with mercury in tuna,” she said. “I’m very disappointed because I’m a big sushi fan.”

Sushi Blues Cafe on Glenwood Avenue could not be reached for comment. Akari Express in Mission Valley Shopping Center and Sushi Tsune of Kyoto on Hillsborough Street declined to comment for this article.