Coral reefs worldwide are in danger. And that's a problem because reefs are the breeding grounds for thousands of marine animals. Pollution and climate change have taken their toll. But scientists recently uncovered another thing that's killing our reefs: sunscreen.
That's right. The sunscreen that swimmers apply to protect them from the sun has a chemical that is deadly to coral reefs. With swimmers and snorkelers constantly vacationing around the reefs, the contamination is extreme. But there is a solution, and it does not involve asking people to get skin cancer. Sunscreens that use a titanium oxide or zinc oxide base are not hazardous to the reefs and can be safely used by sun bathers and divers who are playing in close proximity to reefs. Ask the National Park Service to require reef swimmers to use only sunscreen with a titanium oxide or zinc oxide base which is not damaging to reefs.
To the United States National Park Service:
We the undersigned are dismayed to learn that something as seemingly harmless as sunscreen is destroying coral reefs. But the science is in, and many sunscreens contain a chemical that is substantially contributing to the worldwide decline of coral reefs. There is, fortunately, something you can do about that. We ask that you enact a guideline that requires sun bathers, swimmers, and divers in the proximity of coral reefs to use only sunscreen that has a titanium oxide or zinc oxide base. They will still be protected, and so will the reefs.
