Coral reefs are not only the sites of tropical snorkel getaways but also provide coastal areas with an essential buffer against coastal erosions and storms. The United States earns $3.4 annually in tourism, coastal protection and fisheries, thanks to the coral reefs that abound in Hawaii, Peurto Rico as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, due to harm caused to coral reefs by sunscreens, the U.S. Virgin Islands passed a law to ban some harmful chemicals found in sunscreens which will come into effect on 30 March 2020.

Why Sunscreens Are Harmful

Some common chemicals found in commercial sunscreens include oxybenzone, octocrylene, and octinoxate which have shown to cause harm to coral and other marine ecosystems. Craig Downs, executive director of the Virginia-based nonprofit Haereticus Environmental Laboratory said that one of the key ways toxic sunscreen ingredients threaten coral reefs is by lowering the temperature at which coral will bleach. The chemicals also damage DNA and interfere with early development, threatening the coral’s long-term viability.

Researchers have found that apart from their adverse impact on corals, the hazardous sunscreen chemicals can also lower fertility in fish, impede algae growth, cause deformities in young mussels and sea urchins, and accumulate in dolphin tissue.

How To Restore Coral Reefs

Researchers opine that banning certain sunscreens is not the solution to the problem. Climate change and ocean acidification pose bigger threats. These problems have to be addressed on a broader scale so that appropriate and effective remedies are developed to reverse the damage caused to the marine ecosystem.

Every small step counts and the ban on certain chemicals found in sunscreens will certainly help to make a difference.