Eco Alert: Sunscreen Causes Coral Damage

A new study reveals the lotions slapped on by beach-goers are harming the world's coral reefs

By Jaya Jiwatram Posted 05.30.2008 at 11:44 am 6 Comments

Bleached coral in the Maldives' Moofushi reef Bruno de Giusti

Climate change, urban and industrial pollution, mining and overfishing are just some of the threats to coral reefs worldwide. A recent European Commission study now adds sunscreen lotions to that list. The paper states that up to ten percent of the world’s coral reefs—composed of marine organisms with external skeletons—are subject to bleaching due to chemicals in the sunscreens worn by beach-going tourists.

Researchers at the University of Pisa in Italy discovered in controlled experiments conducted in the coral reefs of Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand and Egypt that even in small amounts, the ultraviolet filters in lotions caused the coral to discharge large amounts of coral mucus, a sign of environmental stress, and to eventually bleach. The research also indicated elevated virus levels in the seawater, suggesting that sunscreens may induce latent viral infections in coral. Not good news considering that an estimated 4,000- to 6,000 tons of sunscreen byproducts annually make their way to reef areas. Even worse, it takes only 20 minutes in the water before a quarter of your sunscreen washes off.

via NYTimes.com

Previous Article: Deepest-Dwelling Life Forms Found

Next Article: City Dwellers Are Greener

Want to learn more about the environment, solar energy, sustainability, and more? Subscribe to Popular Science and enter to win $5,000!

6 Comments

link to this comment

podboq

05/30/08 at 4:00 pm

changing the swim times to early morning or later afternoon would lessen the need for sunscreen, so would a beach umbrella. Restrict access to beaches through search kiosks, search for sunscreen.

what a world.

link to this comment

khorn

05/30/08 at 4:47 pm

Another good reason for Lycra, and it doesn't wash off. Ideal for the kids too, no more hassles with pinning them down to apply sunscreen. Check oneill.com they have great pieces for all ages.

link to this comment

TheNewGuy

05/31/08 at 3:54 pm

We humans are simply bad for the planet. But it's not just humans, animals do there part to cause trouble too like cows that fart.

The Earth gives us life but it also gives every lifeform the ingredients to cause trouble for Earth.

link to this comment

Taio

06/01/08 at 9:57 am

Yes indeed it seems again we stop and go "oh crap maby that wasnt such a good idea" Do we ever acknowledge the problem when the signs begin as oppose to waiting untill the damage is done? None the less I would agree with the idea to go swimming later and or earlier but if youve ever lived in Florida and or a beach community youd know that all the animal some out to play early in the moarning and when the sun starts going down. I myself got stung by jellyfish going swiming around 8:30. It would be very common to see 20 or 30 jellyfish that beached themselves.

Otherwise i woluld have to agree with Khorn, Lycera would be your next alternative with minimal environmental interaction. One way or the other we are poluting the earth like someone smoking 2 packs of Marlboro reds a day and it seems just fine and dandy right now but wait a few years and see what happens to the planet. The equivelent of global emphysema is going to be one spectacular sight, but I think we will push things along with the global warming quite quickly.
~Taio~

link to this comment

shalafi71

06/01/08 at 11:33 pm

You people are the idiots that are driving the "climate change" crap. Give me a break! Sunscreen is killing coral reefs!?! In the amounts specified vs. out global coastline this is an insignificant number.

Learn some math, learn some physics, learn SOMETHING! This is absolutely insignificant!

link to this comment

tint170

06/02/08 at 1:10 pm

This was a big concern when I was at the Xel-Ha park in Mexico. They gave us free organic sunscreen to use for the day. It's something you have to think about when you are potentially bringing foreign chemicals into a fragile environment.