Sunscreen and Coral Reefs

Summer is the time for trips to the beach. Who doesn’t like spending time on the sand and in the sun? With this time on the beach comes layers and layers of sunscreen to protective ourselves from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. However, sunscreen isn’t all good. In almost every popular sunscreen in the United States and around the world, such as Banana Boat, Neutrogena, and Coppertone, toxic chemicals linger. Originally formulated to absorb radiation before it was able to reach the skin, synthetic chemicals such as oxybenzone is a popular active ingredient in sunscreens. But research is revealing the harsh truth behind ingredients like oxybenzone. When the chemicals are released into the ocean, they can react to form new products, such as hydrogen peroxide, which contribute to the bleaching of coral across the globe.

If you don’t know what coral bleaching is, here is a short summary: Coral use a symbiotic relationship with algae in order to produce energy and grow. The algae live within the coral and the two species help each other survive. Coral bleaching occurs when the algae can no longer survive in the coral’s environment, so they leave the coral, making it appear lighter or “bleached.” The most common causes of coral bleaching are temperature changes and toxic chemicals. Without the symbiotic relationship within the coral, the entire coral reef can began to fail, and biodiversity and species populations can plummet as well.

With that information in mind, let’s identify the reasons why we should care about coral reefs. For one, reefs contain the highest biodiversity of any biome in the world, with thousands of plant and fish species working together to create a vibrant ecosystem. Reefs provide natural barriers against severe weather, helping to limit flooding in major storms, and they also help to reduce carbon dioxide levels just like a forest. And if you still can’t seem to find a reason to care about the reefs, think about the natural beauty that coral reefs provide and remember that future generations will not get to experience that beauty unless we take action to stop the devastation.

All it takes to help our coral reefs is a simple lifestyle change: Stop buying sunscreens that contain chemicals that are toxic to reef life, especially sunscreens containing oxybenzone. Although Coppertone uses oxybenzone in their most popular sunscreens, they also offer sunscreens that are free of chemicals and parabens that are toxic to coral, at a similar price. Some companies choose to specifically avoid chemicals such as oxybenzone entirely, such as Sun Bum, and sunscreens like this are much more environmentally friendly.

Next time you decide to make that day trip to the beach, make sure you know how your personal choices affect the people around you and the environment as a whole. Until next time…

SOURCES:

“Is Your Sunscreen Killing Coral Reefs?” Is Your Sunscreen Killing Coral Reefs? | The Ocean Foundation, www.oceanfdn.org/blog/your-sunscreen-killing-coral-reefs.