Does Sun Screen Kill Coral Reef?

[Pudsky]

So then from what I understand from that study, I should NOT be putting sunscreen on the reef? But I thought we were supposed to protect the reefs....

 

[ScubaSteve]

So then from what I understand from that study, I should NOT be putting sunscreen on the reef? But I thought we were supposed to protect the reefs....

You just have to be sure to use water soluble sunscreen for applying to the reef .....we can never be too safe yanno

 

[sambolino44]

I read that thing about sunscreen harming the reefs and thought, sheesh, here we go again, what next? But I went ahead and tried to find "reef-friendly" sunscreen anyway. My first thought was that it's not that easy to find, especially when you happen to be in some out-of-the-way place when you lost your bottle. My second thought was, OK, I'm doing it, but unless EVERYbody does it, it isn't going to make enough of a difference to make a difference. And now you're talking about a world-wide ban; international regulation, including enforcement. Oh, geez, here we go again. Which brings me to my third thought: it says "reef-friendly" on the bottle; other than that, what evidence do I have?

What a can of worms!

 

[danvolker]

I've read that many sunscreens contain nanoparticles, and this is not only bad for corals, it is very bad for people....My wife likes Tropical Seas — Reef Safe
Personally, I rarely use sunscreen--I don't burn easily, and prefer to where "sun clothes" to sun screen.

 

[Thanshin]

I just stay in the shade. Or underwater.

 

[Scubagolf]

There you go, which do you want, skin cancer or coral reefs? A very simple choice. Some people will believe anything.

“Sunscreens protect against sunburn, but there’s no evidence that they protect against basal cell carcinoma or melanoma.”… “Death from skin cancer is advertised as being avoidable with the use of sunscreens. This position might actually be true, but there is as yet absolutely no scientific evidence to support it." Marianne Berwick, PhD, MPH, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

I try to be covered up with clothing, in the shade, or underwater.

 

[Steve50]

there I am all sunburned from protecting the reef, and along comes a hurricane

 

[ScubaSteve]

there I am all sunburned from protecting the reef, and along comes a hurricane

At least it will be a well protected dead reef .

In all seriousness, I think the sunscreen is an important part of the underwater ecosystem......if the coral was not coated in that lubricating goop it would hurt the Parrotfish to pass it.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

While I think there are some great one liners and other humor in this thread, and I love that form of posts, I do think every diver should do all they can to protect, or at least, not harm, coral reefs. It is a big ocean, but divers and swimmers and snorkelers concentrate in a very small part of it. 10,000 people in the water on Waikiki at 2 ounces of sunscreen per bather = 20,000 ounces, or one thousand two hundred fifty gallons PER DAY, in a limited area. Even if I am the only one using Reef Safe products, I will do so, and tell other people to do it too. I don't even think there is an issue here that divers should be arguing. Please consider using no sunscreen before diving, or snorkeling or swimming, or else use reef safe products. They are not hard to find.
DivemasterDennis

 

[sambolino44]

If you dumped the whole bottle out all at once, it might be more apparent that it could cause a problem. It doesn't seem like the few drops on your skin at any one time would make much difference. But even though you only put a tiny bit onto the reef each time, eventually the whole bottle ends up in the ocean. When you think about it, it's as if the whole output of the sunscreen factory (or almost all of it, anyway) is being dumped into the ocean.

Last time I lost my reef-friendly bottle, and couldn't find another one, I just used my bandanna on my head for snorkeling.