The 2010 Gordon Research Conference on Oceans and Human Health will present cutting-edge research on the health-related ecosystem services provided by the ocean and the limitations to the use of those services dictated by environmental and health-related issues. The Conference will feature a wide range of topics, including pharmaceuticals derived from marine organisms, seafood safety, recreational water quality monitoring, harmful algal blooms, practical applications of genomics and proteomics to risk management, and issues related to climate change. Invited speakers will represent a variety of scientific disciplines, including epidemiology, molecular biology, risk modeling and prediction, pharmacology, and environmental toxicology. The Conference will be preceded by a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), which will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format and in short talks and to exchange ideas with leaders in the field, who will serve as mentors. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, will provide an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm and will promote cross-disciplinary collaborations in Oceans and Human Health.