Sunscreens and coral reefs…a toxic mix

Sunscreens are important in the fight against skin cancer but when they get into the shallow ocean waters near coral reefs they can have highly toxic effects on the corals and surrounding sea life. What is safe for the reef? We will discuss the chemicals that cause the problems, the types of marine life injury that ha been reported, the variety of marine organisms affected, possible alternatives to present sunscreens and their effectiveness.