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Sunscreen - bad for reefs?

Hawkeye

Hawkeye

I heard about this and started to do a google search. Article from Jan 2008

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080129-sunscreen-coral.html

In a nut shell, the researcher theorizes that:
Four commonly found sunscreen ingredients can awaken dormant viruses in the symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that live inside reef-building coral species...causing the coral to bleach

But given the lack of "common" knowledge - I wonder if it's true or not. Otherwise I'm sure we'd have heard warnings/stickys on all the other reef sites right? Maybe a topic for one of the speakers at macna to comment on? (i know...too late)
 
steamman

steamman

I don't have any scientific evidence to add.

When I go to Cancun I love to visit the National Parks. They are on the coast (xelha and xcaret) with an abundant of salt water life.

Mexico is home to the second larges coral reef on the planet.

If you go into the water you must use environmentally friendly sunscreens or no sunscreen. It has been a rule at the parks for years. They claim that sunscreens harm the wildlife. I guess they know something down there.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

yeap - the Sea World Discovery Cove in FL also has that policy as I understand it.

I guess when you have people dumping dirty sewage and what not into the oceans - sunscreen seems like a minor issue. But I figure it's an easy thing for us, reefers to change and impact.
 
V

vangvace

I doubt anyone really makes the connection of sunscreen = to tank problems.

The shark touch tanks at the aquarium have supersized skimmers for the summer months and the products people wear on their hands.
 
V

vangvace

duh, and what I am saying is that at Adventure Aquarium, the touch tanks (the shark one in particular) have oversized skimmers just for the summer months do to sunscreen and other products people use on their hands. Now, because they are doing that for a simple fish tank here, it makes perfect sense for policies like that in Mexico and Florida.

Most people will look at temp shifts and other things during the summer months for a cause of a crash or RTNing, but it might just be the goop they put on their hands earlier.
 
steamman

steamman

I thought this thread was about swimmers in the oceans contaminating the natural reefs with sunscreens when they go swimming ???.

Yes I can see sunscreen causing damage in a closed system. Especially if there was no attempt to remove or limit addition of these contaminates. I guess that would be a place to prove the theory.

Back to the problem of the sunscreen and the reefs. I don't believe many bathers think about the reefs when they are on the beaches. Nor do they think they are impacting the reefs with their activities. Most do not realize how delicate the reefs are. If people were made aware of the potential problems they were causing, maybe some would try to limit or change their habits. Maybe environmentally unfriendly sunscreens should not be sold anymore.

Public education can play a role in reducing our impact on the reefs and on our world. How do we get the word out and get people to start trying to change their habits. The people of this world have to change their ways before it is too late to save anything. I hate to say it but we are are own worst enemy. Not to mention the greatest nemesis of nature itself. :'(
 
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