Next time you are hitting the beach and shopping for a sunscreen, along with verifying its SPF, also be sure to examine if it is reef-safe. Our daily choices as a consumer in choosing products as simple as a sunscreen cream/spray, can make or break our ecosystem. Sustainable and ethical consumption is today’s key priority and responsibility towards a positive future. There are many products in today’s market posing to be a threat to our environment. But luckily, consumers hold a substantial role in regulating the market place.
The key criteria is to choose sunscreen products that do not contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, the UV blocking chemicals, that studies have shown to cause coral bleaching. These detrimental chemicals are said to seep through water and harm marine life like fishes and coral reefs. A BBC report explains the significance of coral reefs on balancing the ecosystem and dreadful results of coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is a phenomenon caused by climate change, low tide levels, pollution, etc. But one of the constituting reasons also include presence of deadly chemicals in marine water.
Corals are animal species that dwell on the seafloor, that are often confused as plants. Reefs are formed when colonies of corals come together. Corals further breed types of plant algae, that in turn produce food needed for the growth of corals. Bleaching due to harmful chemical presence in the sea can turn out to be catastrophic as it destroys the algae, and corals end up turning white or bleached. Corals at this state are left in jeopardy with their food source cut off.
The destruction of coral reefs leads to adverse effect on the entire marine life as they are said to support 25% of the species found under water. The BBC report has referred to them as the ‘Amazon rainforest of the sea’ to further amplify their importance. What’s more, coral reefs also contribute to prevention of coastal erosions. Studies have proven the significance of coral reefs in sustaining the majority of bio diversities, constituting thousands of marine animals. Henceforth, it is safe to say that an attack on them is an attack on the overall ecosystem of our planet. Such harmful chemicals induced are also banned in many parts of the world.
However, the aforementioned does not imply the prohibition of using sunscreens. Strong UV radiations have time and again shown to be primary cause for skin cancers. A win-win solution would thus be to invest in physical and natural sunscreen products that carry biologically active ingredients like zinc oxide or titanium oxide.
Cosmopolitan lists out some of them which are both SPF effective and reef-safe - https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/g32236332/best-reef-safe-sunscreen/
Bibliography:
Targeted News Service (TNS). (2018) ‘New Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Paper Highlights Research Into Certain Sunscreen Ingredients’, Athena Information Solutions Pvt. Ltd., 6 July
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