Does Sunscreen kill coral?
We have all heard about climate change bleaching our reefs. But have you ever given a thought about the damage caused to the reefs from your sunscreen?
The primary chemical culprit is oxybenzone (also known as benzophenone-3 or BP-3) which is a commonly used ingredient in FDA-approved sunscreens, including some labeled as “coral reef safe”.
Lotions containing octinoxide, octocrylene to name a few, have also been proven to kill coral. In fact, one drop of sunscreen in 3.9 million gallons / 15 million litres of water is all it takes to damage a reef.
Corals need sunlight to live and simply blocking their access to sunlight causes them harm, even without the toxic effects of some of these chemicals.
So what is the solution?
While it’s true that banning chemical sunscreen isn’t a realistic solution for most people at the moment, anything we can do will help.
The best solution is to use clothing rather than chemicals to protect your skin. A long sleeved rashguard with UV protection is much better for the environment than any sunscreen. Established brands like Scubapro and Aqualung have a large range of clothing with an SPF of 50.
Look out for reef safe products, such as mineral sunscreens containing titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. While no sunscreen is good for the reefs, these have not been found to cause harm. (Ref NOAA)
Make sure that you apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before entering the water, to prevent it just washing off into the ocean.
We at Go2Similan have sourced 2 great ranges of Coral-Safe sunscreens from ‘Stream2Sea‘ and Reef Repair
They are in stock and you can get your hands on them at the Go2Similan shop in Khao Lak!
Or you can message us now to get your hands on the goodies if you can’t wait for the new season!