A new study has identified a culprit in the death of coral reefs all around the world: tourists' sunscreen.The study was led by Roberto Danovaro of the Polytechnic University of Marche in Italy.
According to Danovaro and his team, ingredients in sunscreen can activate viruses in an algae that live inside the coral species. The viruses then replicate until their algae hosts explode, spilling viruses into the water, and infecting neighboring coral reefs. The algae, called Zooxanthellae, provide the coral with energy while lending them their vibrant colors. When the algae die, the coral will go white and die.
Even though you wouldn't think that there could be so much sunscreen in the water to make such a difference, it adds up. More importantly, according to the researchers, the effect is not dose-dependent; a small amount of sunscreen is just as dangerous as a large amount. Danovaro recommends using sunscreen with physical filters that reflect instead of absorb UV radiation.
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