Hawaii might be about to ban your favorite sunscreen to protect its coral reefs (1 Viewer)

[VictorySazarac]

Luckily my sunscreen does not contain either of those chemicals. So reef-safe(er) sunscreens (that work) do exist.

Excerpt from the Washington Post May 2nd. Link to original article at bottom.SB 2471 states:

Oxybenzone and octinoxate cause mortality in developing coral; increase coral bleaching that indicates extreme stress, even at temperatures below 87.8 degrees Fahrenheit; and cause genetic damage to coral and other marine organisms. These chemicals have also been shown to degrade corals’ resiliency and ability to adjust to climate change factors and inhibit recruitment of new corals. Furthermore, oxybenzone and octinoxate appear to increase the probability of endocrine disruption.
“The legislature further finds that environmental contamination of oxybenzone and octinoxate persists in Hawaii’s coastal waters, as the contamination is constantly refreshed and renewed every day by swimmers and beachgoers,” according to the bill.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...l-reefs/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.58024726f7ad

 

[mittens]

Did the article also go over sewage spills into the coasts off of Oahu...


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[reefling]

Did the article also go over sewage spills into the coasts off of Oahu...


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That sort of stuff is the real problem. Human sewage has been the only documented event where a disease was spread from humans to corals. I think it was a part of Fiji.

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[steveb]

Serratia marcescens from sewage --> Caribbean elk horn coral

https://www.livescience.com/15625-coral-disease-wastewater.html

 

[Cody]

I think these groups go after ridiculous stuff because they have zero influence on the real contributors to what's effecting these reefs. Whether it be human waste, the absurd amount of chemicals from agriculture, tourism, etc, those industries have deep pockets and those group know that they can't touch them in the courts. So, just go after a few small guys, like our hobby, and call it a day.

 

[mittens]

Hanauma Bay attracts ~3000 visitors a day @ $7.50 a pop times let’s just say 300 days a year equals $6,750,000 annually. This is the marine preserve that I’ve previously posted about seeing nothing but rock and saltwater. Plus parking, tram rides, food and souvenirs.



https://www.hawaii-aloha.com/blog/2017/07/27/spend-the-day-at-hanauma-bay/


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[mittens]

Hanauma Bay attracts ~3000 visitors a day @ $7.50 a pop times let’s just say 300 days a year equals $6,750,000 annually. This is the marine preserve that I’ve previously posted about seeing nothing but rock and saltwater. Plus parking, tram rides, food and souvenirs.



https://www.hawaii-aloha.com/blog/2017/07/27/spend-the-day-at-hanauma-bay/


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I believe it’s also a non profit group. I took a botany class in undergrad and one topic was sustainable ecology. The class was invited to a private chat with one of the board members to speak about the preserve. One of the issues brought up were monetary.


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[Cody]

I believe it’s also a non profit group. I took a botany class in undergrad and one topic was sustainable ecology. The class was invited to a private chat with one of the board members to speak about the preserve. One of the issues brought up were monetary.


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Oh for sure. So they go after smaller communities such as ourselves, and then can use that as data to help sell their cause to other people. "Look what we did" is the pitch. The problem is that the folks they market to don't understand the full truth about what we do, donate money, and hope everything turns out well. The non-profits will never have enough money to go after the main offenders, so folks like us are on the cutting block. I know this article was about sunscreen, but it struck a chord with me about our hobby.

 

[mittens]

Oh for sure. So they go after smaller communities such as ourselves, and then can use that as data to help sell their cause to other people. "Look what we did" is the pitch. The problem is that the folks they market to don't understand the full truth about what we do, donate money, and hope everything turns out well. The non-profits will never have enough money to go after the main offenders, so folks like us are on the cutting block. I know this article was about sunscreen, but it struck a chord with me about our hobby.

Then again 3000 oiled up bodies attempting to snorkel is a lot of sunscreen a day. My brother argues a guy would use on average 1oz of sunscreen per outing (size of api ammonia bottle). I argue a girl would use double that. So let’s just say 1oz since this is a family affair and kids are a big part of the numbers above. 3000oz of sunscreen dumped into the water daily. That’s 375 cups or 23.5 gallons of sunscreen daily and upwards of 7000 gal yearly based on 300 days open.


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[mittens]

Then again 3000 oiled up bodies attempting to snorkel is a lot of sunscreen a day. My brother argues a guy would use on average 1oz of sunscreen per outing (size of api ammonia bottle). I argue a girl would use double that. So let’s just say 1oz since this is a family affair and kids are a big part of the numbers above. 3000oz of sunscreen dumped into the water daily. That’s 375 cups or 23.5 gallons of sunscreen daily and upwards of 7000 gal yearly based on 300 days open.


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Wonder what would happen to my shroom tank if I dosed just 1 drop a month in my 60.


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[VictorySazarac]

I think the implication is that WE are the sewage.
BTW, the article is about banning chemicals in SOME sunscreens, not divers, collectors, or swimming. I just wanted to make that clear.

 

[VictorySazarac]

Update

UPDATE!

Hawaii Just Banned 70 Percent of Common Sunscreens
To save its coral reefs.
Annie MaJul. 3, 2018 7:50 PM

In an effort to preserve Hawaii’s marine ecosystem, state lawmakers drafted a measure to outlaw sunscreens that contain oxybenzone or octinoxate, which make coral polyps more vulnerable to bleaching. On Tuesday, Gov. David Ige signed the bill into law, meaning that as of January 2021, the majority of sunscreens currently on the market will be banned in Hawaii.

“Our own interaction with the Earth can have everlasting impacts,” Ige said at the signing ceremony. “This bill is a small first step worldwide to really caring about our corals and our reefs in a way that no else anywhere in the world has done.”
As Mother Jones previously reported, oxybenzone “deforms coral cells, damages their DNA, and, most disturbing of all, disrupts coral larvae endocrine hormones causing baby coral to encase themselves in their own skeletons and die.”
The problem with most sunscreens applied by cautious beachgoers is that it eventually washes off, spreading into the water and exposing nearby corals to oxybenzone and octinoxate. Studies have shown that even the smallest amount of the chemicals can cause coral to rapidly bleach, eliminating an essential part of the marine ecosystem that supplies essential nutrients in the food chain and protects coastlines from storm and wave damage.

In 2015, scientists confirmed a third round of global bleaching was ravaging the world’s coral reefs—the first global bleaching on record was in 1998, followed by a second in 2010. The phenomenon is triggered by environmental changes like warming water and pollutants, which causes stressed out corals to release the algae they depend on to survive, draining them of color before they gradually starve to death. In Hawaii, more than half the state’s coral reefs were bleached between 2014 and 2015.
Industry and medical groups argued against the bill while it was up for debate because oxybenzone and octinoxate are the most common active ingredients in many sunscreens. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents manufacturers of over-the-counter medicines and supplements, said that at least 70 percent of sunscreens currently on the market will be affected by the ban, such as Banana Boat, Coppertone, and Neutrogena.
The Skin Cancer Foundation criticized the legislation as a barrier to adequate sun protection amid a public health epidemic. “By removing access to a significant number of products, this ban will give people another excuse to skip sun protection, putting them at greater risk for skin cancer,” the group said in a statement.

But as the climate warms and the reefs continue to struggle, state Rep. Chris Lee said the measure was necessary to protect the state’s remaining corals. “I’m 37 now, and within my lifetime, our planet has lost about half our coral reefs,” Lee said. “We’ve got to taken action today to protect that other half as best we can. We know the tide is against us. We’ve got a limited amount of time.”

https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/07/sunscreen-hawaii-ban-save-coral-reefs/

 

[sneezebeetle]

Thanks for the update!

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[mittens]

Being burnt is the new “in” thing.


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[smootie]

I suppose as someone who grew up in Hawaii and saw the devastation to the coral reef there over the course of nearly 30 years, I think it's wonderful that oxybenzene and octinoxate sunscreens are being banned.

The coral in Hawaii (and the reef in general) is being decimated from all directions - tourists trampling all over it, chemical and sewage spills, overfishing by locals, illegal harvesting for the aquarium trade, littering/dumping, ocean temperature fluctuations, the list goes on and on.

I find it baffling that anyone could have a problem with this ban (except for the people who sell those sunscreens). It's not a magic cure but every bit helps.

 

[Tnconcept]

Not sure if this is related to Hawaii, but just got back from the Florida keys snorkeling and they didn't allow any spray sun block. They said it damage the reef. From what I witness the reef is bleach out most of the sps is gone there. Mainly softies and lps. I'm shock of whats happened to the reef there. Belize reef was still good the last time I went snorkeling, saw many large sps colony.

 

[VictorySazarac]

I've been using mineral based sunblocks for years. They work just fine.
9 Best Natural Sunscreens and Mineral Sunscreens 2018

If we don't start making changes, the only way to enjoy a coral reef will be in old movies, photos and "old-timer" stories.