Caribbean Beat — November/December 2018 (#154)

green
The secret life
of sunscreen
The blazing rays of the tropical sun can take
a heavy toll on your skin — which is why most
beachgoers and swimmers in the Caribbean
slather on a layer of protective sunscreen
before they disrobe. But the very chemicals
that protect human skin can be toxic for corals
— and the Caribbean’s reefs pay the price.
Erline Andrews investigates
Photography by photopixel/Shutterstock.com
Fragments of Hope is an
award-winning nonprofit in
Belize, committed to saving
coral reefs decimated by
climate change, pollution,
and other phenomena
related to human activity. On the group’s
regularly updated Facebook page, there
are photos of volunteers and researchers
chest-deep in clear Belizean sea water
going about the work of creating coral
nurseries, where they raise young coral
on small plates to later be transplanted to
areas that need replenishing.
The men and women are dressed in
long-sleeved tops and in caps or hats
with brims so wide that their faces are
obscured. One volunteer’s face is covered
except for the eyes with a bandana, and
another wears what looks like a beekeeper’s
mask.
What might seem like strange attire for
time spent in the sun and sea is explained
in captions above two photographs. “No
sunscreen allowed, thus our big hats,” is
the text above one photo. “Covered up
from the sun, no sunscreen allowed!” is
written above another.
If you want to find out why sunscreen
should alarm people concerned about
coral reefs, the Fragments of Hope
Facebook page is a good place to start. In
multiple posts, the NGO shares information
about studies that have found the
widespread use of sunscreen by swimmers,
divers, and other people who enter
the sea is having a detrimental impact on
marine life, particularly corals.
A study conducted by a team of
researchers from the National Centres
92 WWW.CARIBBEAN-BEAT.COM