Corals are tiny animals that live in large communities made up of

individual polyps that secrete a calcium carbonate substance that

hardens and builds up to form the reef structure over time. There are
different types of corals, such as brain corals and fan corals, that form
different types of structures. The coral polyps live symbiotically with algae
that provides them with their food. Disease, temperature extremes and
pollution can cause corals to expel the algae, leaving only the white
calcium carbonate skeleton behind, an event called coral bleaching. Coral
bleaching is a worry with global warming heating up the oceans and
carbon dioxide causing the oceans to acidify. Coral reefs are important
ecosystems because they support larger communities of fish, mollusks,
crustaceans and other sea creatures.

Hawaii is poised to ban certain sunscreens from sale within its borders in the name
of protecting coral reefs. But vacationers will still be able to protect themselves from
skin cancer while snorkeling and frolicking in the waves — but might look a little
funny.

On Tuesday (May 1), Hawaii's Legislature passed a bill to ban sunscreens containing
the common chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, effective Jan 1, 2021. The bill
is now awaiting a signature from Gov. David Ige.
The ban follows research suggesting that sunscreen drifting off the skin of tourists
can damage coral. But only chemical sunscreens are affected — mineral sunscreens
that use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to physically block the sun's rays are still
allowed. These sunscreens have fallen out of favor because they often leave a white
sheen on the skin, but marine biologists say it's worth looking a little goofy to save
reefs. [5 Things You Didn't Know About Sunscreens]

"Any little thing we can do could have a huge impact, because corals are getting it
from every side," said Nikki Traylor-Knowles, a biologist who studies stresses on
corals at the University of Miami.

What's in a sunscreen?
Coral reefs the world over face a whole load of threats. The most pervasive is
climate change, which warms and acidifies ocean waters and causes frequent
coral bleaching events. Corals live in symbiosis with algae that conduct
photosynthesis from the safety of the coral's bony structure and, in return for that
protection, provide the coral food. Bleaching occurs when corals get stressed and
expel the algae. Coral can recover from bleaching, but recovery becomes less likely
if the ocean conditions remain stressful or if bleaching occurs year after year.
Pollution, including runoff from storm water and untreated sewage, can damage
reefs as well, according to the National Ocean Service. But in recent years,
scientists have pointed to sunscreen-slathered tourists as a previously unrecognized
source of water pollution.
Two sunscreen chemicals, oxybenzone and octinoxate, have been shown to damage
corals in a variety of ways. According to 2016 research in the Archives of
Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, which John Fauth, a biologist at
the University of Central Florida, helped conduct, oxybenzone damages coral DNA,
causes coral to bleach, and even prompts free-swimming coral larvae to excrete a
hard skeleton prematurely, entombing themselves. The bleaching may be the result
of the sunscreen compounds promoting viral infections in the coral, according to a
2008 study. The chemicals are also endocrine disruptors, Fauth said, so they
damage corals' ability to reproduce.

Everything counts
It might seem mind-boggling that a few humans slathered in sunscreen could make
an impact in the world's biggest ocean, or any ocean for that matter, but these
compounds can have effects down to the parts per trillion, Fauth told Live Science.

In addition, Traylor-Knowles said, sunscreen can quickly become concentrated in

the sheltered coves and lagoons where people love to snorkel and swim.

"Other animals, like fish, can swim away from an area that is being impacted by a
chemical, right, but corals can't do that," Traylor-Knowles told Live Science. "They
just have to sit there and take it."

Hawaii's likely ban of the chemicals is hugely heartening, both Fauth and Traylor-
Knowles said. A few tourist areas in Mexico have enacted similar bans, Fauth said,
and Hawaii might be the "tip of the spear" for other island nations that depend
heavily on tourism.

So, what is a sun-sensitive but coral-loving tourist to do? Cover up and wear mineral
sunscreens (though avoid mineral sunscreens that use a nano-form of minerals,
which might affect phytoplankton, the base of the ocean food chain). For their
research on sunscreen, Fauth and his colleagues said they were careful to avoid
contaminating the water while they took samples: They showered, rinsed all their
gear with harsh lab soap and avoided all personal care products, even deodorant, for
a week.

"We sort of looked at each other and said, 'This is going to be a smelly mess by the
end of the week,'" Fauth said.

But with the help of protective clothing, hats, rash guards and judicious use of shade,
the researchers managed to avoid sunburn. Mineral sunscreens make sun protection
even easier, and should be seen as a badge of honor, Fauth said.

"You've got on something that's protecting you," he said, "and meanwhile, it's not
harming the marine life.

Source livescience.com