Caribbean Beat — November/December 2018 (#154)

The chemical ingredient in most sunscreens that
protects consumers from ultraviolet light also
kills young corals
for Coastal Ocean Science and published
in the 13 December, 2013, issue of the
journal Ecotoxicology found that the
chemical ingredient in most sunscreens
that protects consumers from ultraviolet
light also kills young corals, and contributes
to coral bleaching: it causes them
to lose the coating of algae that gives
them protection and their vibrant colour.
The chemical contaminates the marine
environment not only through people
entering the sea but indirectly through
users washing it off in the shower — that
water eventually reaches the sea through
the sewer system. “Please read and share
widely! And buy your lycra skins and big
hats!” is the exhortation from Fragments
of Hope above the link to the study.
When Hawaii moved to ban products
with oxybenzone and two similar sunscreen
chemicals earlier this year, Fragments
of Hope posted the news along
with the message, “maybe Belize can
be next.” The organisation has shared
a link to the short film Reef at Risk, a
compelling look at the issue from a
team of Hawaiian filmmakers, and even
screened the film at primary schools
in Belize as part of an outreach programme.
“We are surprised how many
people are still unaware of the issues
relating to sunscreen and coral reefs,”
says Monique Vernon, Fragments of
Hope’s outreach officer. The organisation
is working with the Belize Tourism
Board to educate tour operators about
the issue — in turn, they hope the
operators will help educate their clients.
There’s good reason why average
Belizeans and regular visitors to
the country should want to know
about the harmful effects of sunscreen.
The Belize Barrier Reef, one of the world’s
largest, is the habitat for a wide variety of
coral and fish species, and supports the
country’s fishing and tourism industries.
Awareness is slowly spreading, and
a number of Belizean tourism ser-
Save the coral, and your skin
One 2015 estimate says that 14,000 tons of sunscreen end up in the world’s
oceans each year — adding to the numerous other man-made substances that
pollute the sea. Oxybenzone and octinoxate are the two sunscreen ingredients
thought to do most damage to reefs by bleaching corals. But there are other
sunscreen ingredients you should to avoid, such as titanium dioxide, which reacts
in warm saltwater to create hydrogen peroxide.
So what’s the most eco-friendly sunscreen that will also save your skin
from UV damage? Experts recommend zinc oxide, which some sunscreen
manufacturers now offer as a reef-friendly alternative.
vice providers now request that clients
wear what’s referred to as “reef-safe”
sunscreen, which uses alternatives to
oxybenzone. St George’s Caye Resort, for
example, offers reef-safe sunscreen for
sale at their gift shop.
And the rest of the Caribbean is slowly
taking steps, too. In May, Bonaire’s Island
Council followed in the footsteps of
Hawaii, and banned products containing
oxybenzone and the similarly harmful
chemical octinoxate. Scientists from
Wageningen University in the Netherlands
have been studying the effects of
the chemicals in waters around the island.
Elsewhere in the Dutch Caribbean,
Sint Maarten’s environmental NGO
Nature Foundation has started urging
residents and visitors to “avoid
sunscreens with oxybenzone, use sunscreens
with a combination of zinc and
titanium, use lotions not sprays, apply
sunscreen at least thirty minutes before
entering the water, and avoid sunscreen
factors above fifty,” according to a press
release. The last three bits of advice
help reduce the amounts of harmful
sunscreen that gets into the water. “The
coral reefs of Sint Maarten, especially in
the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected
Area, contribute significantly to the
economy of Sint Maarten and all steps
should be taken by the community to
protect this very important resource,”
the release explains.
Craig Downs, the lead researcher
behind the 2013 study, has also conducted
research in the Bahamas and Barbados
at the request of NGOs there. He says
it’s too soon to share his findings. “The
Caribbean overall is slow to respond,”
says Downs in an email exchange. “This
is reasonable, because until someone
does the science — and determines levels
of UV chemicals along the coast in that
country — that country will not recognise
it as a problem.
“So more groups need to do some
environmental sampling and assessment,”
he continues. “Many countries
may not have the technical equipment
or infrastructure to analyse samples, but
there are commercial service companies
in the US and in Europe who can do these
analyses.”
Monique Vernon of Fragments of Hope
shares similar sentiments. The organisation
would like to see “more research into
the potential hazards of sunscreen chemicals
into the environment, and providing
choices to alternative sunscreen use,” she
says. The organisation maintains contact
with Craig Downs and his team.
“They can’t endorse ‘reef-safe’
sunscreen until those other chemicals
undergo the very same research,”
explains Vernon. “Until further testing
can be done, we can recommend the use
of protective clothing.”
So next time you see someone swimming
in long sleeves and a wide-brimmed
hat, it may not be a fashion choice — but
an attempt to keep coral reefs uncontaminated
and healthy. n
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