When it comes to climate change, one of the most talked-about impacts is the loss of coral reefs, some of the most productive and visually striking ecosystems in the world. The loss of the coral causes a domino effect throughout the ecosystem the coral maintains through its status as a foundation species. This biological crisis has a human impact as well, though, as the Christian Science Monitor explains, "If the reefs vanished, experts say, hunger, poverty and political instability could ensue." Ultimately, the loss of these coral reefs represents a huge danger to every facet of society.
The mechanism through which coral reefs are primarily lost is through coral bleaching, the rejection of symbiotic microorganisms that give coral its color and are necessary for its survival. The loss of these microorganisms leads to a loss of the coral's pigmentation, thus the effect has the name of coral bleaching. Previously, scientists have identified a host of possible causes for coral bleaching: ocean acidification, El Nino, increased global temperatures, spreading of infectious disease, and even The Blob, an anomalous mass of warm water in the Pacific. Now, they have another cause to add to the list.
As reported by TIME, researchers publishing in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology have identified the 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen that enters coral ecosystems as being a component of recent coral bleaching. A specific chemical, oxybenzone, has the effect of endocrine disruption, DNA damage, DNA damage, and of course, the exacerbation of coral bleaching.
Like I said earlier, 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen enter coral reefs worldwide. This might not sound like a lot (and compared to the ocean it isn't) but oxybenzone does not need to have a high concentration to have an impact. The study found that oxybenzone toxicity occurs at a concentration of only 62 parts per trillion, or the equivalent of a drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
The researchers don't entirely reject sunscreen, however, and they do provide an alternative to how everyone can help protect coral reefs. While oxybenzone sunscreen has been found to harmful to coral reefs, sunscreens with titanium or zinc oxides have not been found to be so. So if you have pale skin, take this as a lesson to stop using oxybenzone sunscreen unless you want coral to be pale as well.
CSM Article: http://www.csmonitor.com/From-the-news-wires/2010/0326/Death-of-coral-reefs-could-devastate-nations
The Blob: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob_(Pacific_Ocean)
TIME Article: http://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/
Journal Article: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00244-015-0227-7
The mechanism through which coral reefs are primarily lost is through coral bleaching, the rejection of symbiotic microorganisms that give coral its color and are necessary for its survival. The loss of these microorganisms leads to a loss of the coral's pigmentation, thus the effect has the name of coral bleaching. Previously, scientists have identified a host of possible causes for coral bleaching: ocean acidification, El Nino, increased global temperatures, spreading of infectious disease, and even The Blob, an anomalous mass of warm water in the Pacific. Now, they have another cause to add to the list.
As reported by TIME, researchers publishing in the journal Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology have identified the 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen that enters coral ecosystems as being a component of recent coral bleaching. A specific chemical, oxybenzone, has the effect of endocrine disruption, DNA damage, DNA damage, and of course, the exacerbation of coral bleaching.
Like I said earlier, 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen enter coral reefs worldwide. This might not sound like a lot (and compared to the ocean it isn't) but oxybenzone does not need to have a high concentration to have an impact. The study found that oxybenzone toxicity occurs at a concentration of only 62 parts per trillion, or the equivalent of a drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
The researchers don't entirely reject sunscreen, however, and they do provide an alternative to how everyone can help protect coral reefs. While oxybenzone sunscreen has been found to harmful to coral reefs, sunscreens with titanium or zinc oxides have not been found to be so. So if you have pale skin, take this as a lesson to stop using oxybenzone sunscreen unless you want coral to be pale as well.
CSM Article: http://www.csmonitor.com/From-the-news-wires/2010/0326/Death-of-coral-reefs-could-devastate-nations
The Blob: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blob_(Pacific_Ocean)
TIME Article: http://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/
Journal Article: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00244-015-0227-7