WASHINGTON — New research suggests that certain types of sunscreen threaten the health and life of coral reefs.
A study published Tuesday in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology details how the chemical oxybenzone damages the DNA of coral, preventing it from growing.
The chemical mutates the DNA, deforming the coral. If the coral is young enough, that deformity will result in its death, said Craig Downs, executive director of Haereticus Environmental Laboratory, based in Central Virginia.
Despite its landlocked location in Clifford, Virginia, the lab’s forte is coral research. And its team worked with federal researchers and a University of Central Florida professor among others to study how coral reacts to concentrations of oxybenzone.
“There is a high probability that (oxybenzone) is a significant contributor to coral reef degradation in certain areas like in the Caribbean, Hawaii, the South Pacific. Wherever you have a lot of people who use a lot of sunscreen lotion, this could be an issue of why we see coral declines in those areas,” Downs said.
Coral reefs act as a cradle of biodiversity and harbor the greatest number of species found in the ocean. Corals also protect coastlines from erosion and serve as a tourist attraction, supporting local economies, he said.
The easiest way to halt the destruction of the corals would be for sunscreen manufacturers to stop using the chemical. And some companies have already begun phasing out the use of oxybenzone from products, Downs said.
In the meantime, beach areas near coastal reefs and marine parks charged with protecting them should do more to encourage beachgoers to use sunscreen products that contain other sun-protecting chemicals, he said.
In the United States, six species of coral, an invertebrate, are considered threatened. Another 16 foreign species of coral are also considered threatened, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
And in the Florida Keys, for example, more than 95 percent of the coral has disappeared, Downs said.
WTOP’s Kristi King and Amanda Iacone contributed to this report.
