Reef Safe Sunscreen
Anyone who’s spent a day in the tropics, scuba diving, snorkeling or just hanging out on the beach will know that sunscreen is essential. Without applying sunscreen, sunny days, soaring temperatures, and inviting tropical sea’s will inevitably lead to a sunburn.
The exposed skin of scuba divers, and snorkelers, who take a boat to their open water destination is particularly vulnerable as the sun’s rays are intensified by reflections off the water. But herein lies the dilemma.
Sunscreen is pretty much a requirement for beach going holidays, but harmful chemicals found in common FDA approved sunscreens are killing corals before they even have a chance to thrive. And the scary part is you don’t even need to step foot in the water, as these harmful chemicals are also lurking in your hair and body products washing right down the drain and often making their way back the ocean.
珊瑚reefs are a major draw to coastal areas, and often the lure of a vibrant coral reef scape is what first got us breathing underwater. A recent study found that coral reef-related tourism is worth a whopping$36 billion dollars per year,this includes on reef activities like diving and off reef activities, like white sandy beaches.
With more tourists exploring tropical regions, all that sunscreen adds up. Climate change, coastal development, sewage, plastics, and sunscreen are decimating corals reefs throughout their lifecycle, and switching to reef safe sunscreen will make sure you’re carefree beach holiday isn’t contributing to coral decline.
羟赞酮
羟赞酮, a common chemical found in sunscreen, is one of the worst offenders and has been found to be harmful to coral larva. A2015年的研究发现在暴露于氧苯后,珊瑚幼虫在几个小时内变形,从自由游动的planula幼虫开始(A)变形,immobile dome(B)。
The study also showed that minuscule concentrations —about 62 parts pertrillion- 在实验室环境中暴露的近一半的珊瑚幼虫损坏,大约一个drop of water in six Olympic-sized swimming pools!
珊瑚产卵
当珊瑚产卵时,来自两个菌落的鸡蛋和精子在水柱中相遇,形成受精卵的胚胎,后来发展成珊瑚幼虫。自由锻炼的幼虫将寻找suitable place to settleon the coral reef, preferring cracks, divets, and crevices, with healthy pink coralline algae cover.
Once the larva finds a suitable location they will settle on the reef and metamorphose into a coral polyp. Oxybenzone, however, disrupts this cycle and the tiny larva never even have a chance to find their forever home. This is bad news for corals.
Choose Reef Safe Products
幸运的是,有一些公司制作礁石安全的防晒霜,这些防晒霜不包含oxybenzone或其他harmful chemicals。我们在Dema遇到了Autumn Blum,并查看了她最新的Stream2sea产品系列,包括礁石安全的防晒霜,洗发水,护发素,护发素,沐浴露,乳液,Sun Gel和润唇膏。
Reef safe options are out there, and if you don’t want to contribute to the problem the best thing you can do is be informed, choose only reef safe products, tell your friends about reef safe sunscreen, and wear SPF lycra or rashguards when you get in the water to avoid sunburns and contaminating the ocean.