Sunscreen: Saving you while killing others

When you go to the beach, one of your first thoughts is that you have to protect yourself. You take out your sunscreen, put it all over your body, and then head into the ocean for a swim. However, what you don't realize is that while you're protecting your own skin and preventing it from being damaged, you're actually damaging something just below the surface of the water that isn’t visible straight away. It's home to all sorts of life and does wonders for our world, and it's something we need to protect. Can you guess what it is? If you guessed coral reefs, you would be correct! Coral reefs are damaged by the chemicals found in most sunscreens such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, and many people are unaware of what the chemicals are and what chemicals do to the coral. They don't realize that by simply taking a swim in the ocean to cool off or to have fun is actually harming and killing coral. They also don’t realize how important coral really is.

What gives the coral their vibrant color is zooxanthellae, a microscopic algae that covers the coral. Coral have a symbiotic relationship with the algae that lives in their tissue. The algae serves as the coral's food source, providing the coral nutrients when the algae performs photosynthesis, and the algae consumes waste products from the coral. The coral also provides the algae with a protected environment. However under stressful situations, the algae will leave the coral’s tissue, taking away its food source, and turn the coral white in a process known as bleaching. The algae leave for a variety of reasons, such as pollution, rising ocean temperatures, acidification, naturally occurring coral disease and overexposure to sunlight. Bleaching does not necessarily mean death for the coral, but it leaves the coral much more susceptible to coral diseases and increases the mortality rate. So how does sunscreen relate to the coral and its algae?
Many sunscreens contain the chemical oxybenzone that protects human skin from UV rays and damage. However the chemical has a significant impact on coral. A study from 2015 investigated oxybenzone's effects on Stylophora pistillata in its larval form (also known as planula), a certain kind of coral.When the planulae were exposed to the chemical, there was an increased rate of bleaching. This is because oxybenzone is both a phototoxicant and a genotoxicant- the effects of oxybenzone are increased after exposure to light and it damages the coral of DNA. They also found that it increased ossification in coral where the coral became encased in its own skeleton. The study also showed there were significant concentration levels of oxybenzone per liter in the waters of US Virgin Islands. 

   

                                                                            

         Coral reefs cover only 1% of the ocean’s floor yet are home to at least 25% of marine life with 4,000 species being able to live in one reef. The coral is also full of fish nurseries, and helps baby fish grow and mature as the coral gives them protection from predators and security in more shallow waters. From only 1 square kilometer, 35 tons of fish can be found. Coral reefs are essential because they provide food and shelter for fish as well as protect the coastline in natural disasters. However we have already killed 10% of coral reefs, with 60% of the remaining reefs at a high risk. And as of now, over 14,000 tons of sunscreen enter our oceans. Many people enter the ocean for a swim, washing all of their sunscreen off in the ocean and bringing the chemicals straight to the coral. What can also happen is the sunscreen (especially with the popular spray-on sunscreens) will settle into the sand and when the tide pulls the sand into the water it brings the sunscreen with it.

So what can be done about this? The first step is awareness, and learning to look at labels on sunscreen. There are plenty of reef-safe, mineral based sunscreens out there. Lists of sunscreens that are safe for reefs have been published by Haereticus Environmental Lab and Environmental Working Group. Sunscreens that contain titanium and zinc oxide and are mineral based are much safer. Many people are often put off by these kinds of sunscreens as they aren’t as visually appealing- they often leave the skin very white and don’t look as good as your traditional Banana Boat sunscreen. However, making small changes is how we solve the problem. By not purchasing or continuing to use these sunscreen, we lower the amount of sunscreen going into the ocean. There have been efforts on a larger scale to help the issue- On May 1, 2018 a bill was passed in Hawaii that banned certain harmful sunscreen chemicals that will take effect on January 1, 2019 as law. It targets sunscreen that contains oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are found in over 3,500 sunscreen items across the world. Resorts and tour companies have also been active in promoting the use of reef-safe sunscreens instead. There are currently coral nurseries set up in certain endangered areas to regrow coral and replant it as well.

Above is a diver working on a coral nursery, where living coral fragments are hung to allow them to grow again where they can then be transplanted to a new site. Below is a video (taken by me) of the coral nurseries I worked with and helped clean during my coral restoration trip. 

As a diver, I am interacting with coral constantly and have seen some amazing reefs. Seeing it up close and in person caused me to fall in love with it and strive to protect it. Watching fish swim around it, you see the underwater world for what it is- full of life and energy. The past summer I did a two week program in the Dutch Caribbean where I helped transplant coral, clean the coral nurseries, and clean beaches. It was an eye-opening experience that made me more aware of how small actions could have a larger impact. While the vibrant coral you find in Hawaii and the Virgin Islands doesn't seem to exist up at the New Jersey Shore, the sunscreen you use in New Jersey enters the same ocean as the Caribbean. Will wearing your favorite Neutrogena sunscreen to Ocean Grove kill the coral in Bonaire? Not directly, but the chemicals will still be entering the ocean and small doses can reach coral reefs. So even when you visit Cape Cod with your family or travel out to California, be aware of the sunscreen you are putting on your body- it is all entering the same ocean, and coral reefs need as much help as they can get. While I don't have the best photos, here are some photos/videos from my trip! (the first one I have shown to almost everyone, and was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced and the second one is a video of replanted Staghorn coral growing on bamboo structures) 

Good Grief! Not the Coral Reef!

Tropical Coral Reef 

The tropical coral reefs are the most diverse ecosystems on the planet due to the vast amount of animals that live in the coral and are protected by them. Unfortunately, the coral reefs are dying at an unsettling rate, and this is because of the stresses that the corals face because of the water that surrounds them.

The Affect of Coral Bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef 

Coral bleaching is a process that corals go through when they are stressed by a significant environmental change, like the change in sea temperature. What happens to the coral is the symbiotic algae that live in the tissue of the coral is expelled, causing the coral to turn white. The algae and the coral have a mutualistic relationship with each other. The coral provides a protected environment and components for the algae, to undergo photosynthesis, while the algae provides the nutrients that the coral needs to stay alive. When the coral does not have the algae in its tissue, it lacks the nutrients that it needs, and cannot survive.

Climate change is one of the leading factors that contribute to the death of coral reefs. Two reasons why climate change is killing the coral are the effect of changing sea temperatures and ocean acidification. Ocean acidification occurs when excess CO2 in the atmosphere dissolves into the oceans, which makes the water more acidic. Where does this excess CO2 in the atmosphere come from? Humans, of course! By burning fossil fuels like coal and oil, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased over time and has vastly affected our ecosystems. When bleaching occurs, it can happen on an enormous scale. In 2016, there was a "mass bleaching event" in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia because of climate change.

 The effect of the death of corals reefs do not only affect the lives of species in the ocean, but they also affect the economies of the places around them. The coral reefs are home to about 9,000 species of marine life, which means that the food webs in the ocean are profoundly affected. The ripple effects from the smallest plankton to the most massive whale shark. In Australia, the death of the coral reef is detrimental to their economy. Because the reef supports the fisheries, which contributes 6.4 billion to the Australian economy and also employs more than 64,000 people. If the coral reefs die, then the animals will die. Fewer animals mean that there will be less money going to the Australian economy, causing people to lose their jobs. Developing countries are also negatively affected by the death of the reefs. Not only are they affected by the lack of fish close to the reefs, but they are also affected by the lack of tourists. Because the beautiful reefs attract tourists to these countries, they are losing money because nobody wants to see dead coral reefs.

Now, you may be asking, What can I do to protect coral? Well, you can start by recycling and disposing of your trash correctly, especially on the beach. Another way that you can protect our coral is to reduce your use of fertilizers in your gardens because when it rains the fertilizers run into the waterways that end up in the ocean, polluting the water and harming the coral reefs. If you decide to take a trip and visit the coral, please avoid touching the reefs, because any contact with the coral reef could damage the corals and the animals that live within them. 

A scuba diver at the coral reef in the Caribbean 

All of these atrocities are due to climate change and how humans are hurting our environment because of the hurtful fossil fuels that we are putting into our atmosphere. Not only does the death of coral affect the lives of species in the ocean, but it also affects the lives of humans and countries that depend on the coral for the stability of their economies. So the next time you take a look at the beautiful corals, think about what you can do to help preserve not only their beauty but the lives that they impact. 

Biggest species extinction since dinosaurs

Right now more species are becoming extinct since the mass elimination of dinosaurs 65 million years ago. And it's all because of human activity.



The Earth naturally goes through environmental cycles and species extinctions, yet the rate at which that occurs is generally one to five species a year, where as right now around a dozen are becoming extinct everyday! If this continues to happen, we could be looking at around 30-50% of all species becoming extinct by the mid-century.

Humans account for 99% of all activity threatening animals on this Earth, from habitat destruction, introduction of invasive species, and global warming. And because of the complex nature of ecosystems, one individual species could be a keystone species, causing a snowball affect of destruction on an area. Keystone species are organisms that greatly affect and are depended on in an ecosystem, where if removed cause dramatic change.

Species diversity is crucial towards successful ecosystems, and while certain terrains such as coral reefs and rain forests need genetic and species diversity,  less inhabited lands such as tundras, grasslands, etc could be completely devastated if a handful of species becomes extinct.

As humans, we must realize that we do not own this Earth, we are merely one species out of the millions of others. This human supremacy must be taken down and the realization that if actions aren't taken to preserve the multitude of living things, there will be a time with no elephants, red wood trees, killer whales, or the diversity that makes up our amazing Earth.

It's Not Too Late For Corals

 

There's something about the ocean that has always struck me as magical.  As a certified scuba diver, one of my favorite things to do during a dive is to take a moment to focus solely on the fact that I am in another world that most people will never get to see.  It's something so serene and beautiful, and when I first took interest in the ocean I thought "finally, something so far from humans that we can't possibly manage to destroy it."  And boy, was I wrong.

There is currently a massive coral bleaching event sweeping across the world's oceans and you'll never believe whose fault is it. (HINT: it's humans).  It is estimated that by the end of 2015, 38% of the world's coral will be impacted by the event.  So- you might ask- what even is coral bleaching? When corals are stressed, they release an algae called zooxanthellae that lives in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white and die.  When corals die, the organisms that live and thrive in coral reefs either die off or are forced to migrate to other areas.   
 

The current massive coral bleaching event is caused in part by El Niño, which is unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific (heat is a huge stressor for corals).  Another big reason for the massive bleaching of corals is global warming.  Oceans absorb 93% of the increase in Earth's heat from climate change, which causes a significant amount of damage to the ocean's ecosystems.  Despite the attempts of scientists and politicians to raise awareness for and begin the battle against global warming, only 9% of Americans see global warming as a serious issue.  With a majority of American people failing to see the greater effects of climate change, the ocean and all of it's inhabitants are in grave danger.  The rising temperature of the ocean is the main cause of coral bleaching, and is an issue that needs to be halted.      

Fortunately, it's not too late for corals. Some ways you can help to slow the bleaching of corals are to recycle, support reef-friendly businesses, learn more about coral reefs and the organisms that they support, never buy coral jewelry, and support conservation organizations.

If you are visiting somewhere with beautiful coral reefs and are planning to dive or snorkel, do not do anything that can stress out the corals.  I repeat, DO NOT stress out the corals.  I know they're really pretty and cool, but touching them can and will cause bleaching to occur.  Also, try to stay off of the ocean floor because stirred-up sediment can be a stressor for corals.  One of my favorite songs/videos on the internet talks about the dangers of touching coral and can be found here.  It's really fun and informative, so I suggest you check it out.

Last summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work with Coral Restoration Foundation Bonaire, an organization based in Bonaire.  There, I learned all about corals, coral bleaching, and the process of coral restoration.  I also got to participate in the three stages of coral restoration, working specifically with staghorn corals (Acropora cervicornis).   Here's a picture of me working on the first stage; cleaning the trees.

The first part of coral restoration is learning how to clean the manmade trees on which corals are being regrown and the strings which attach the corals to the trees.  The corals hanging from the trees were tips of healthy corals and were removed in order to be safely grown for 6-9 months and then be relocated.  It is important to clean the trees because the algae that grows on the trees not only competes for nutrients with the corals, but it also weighs down the tree, causing it to sink towards the ocean floor.

The second part of learning coral restoration is learning how to attach little corals to strings and then onto the tree.  (I know, the steps seem slightly out of order; I'm pretty sure it's because they don't trust first-time coral restorers to handle the corals) Both steps are fairly simple but are made difficult by the abundance of fire coral growing on the trees.  If you make it through the rest of this blog post, I promise to show you a picture of me right after being stung by fire coral.

The third and final step of coral restoration is relocation of the larger corals.  The larger corals are removed from the trees and are brought to a nearby area to be added to a new colony.  The corals are secured in a new colony and are allowed to grow and thrive into a colony which can support marine life.  This step was interesting because while we were securing the corals, several fish began to take interest in the new colony, showing us some immediate results of the project.

  

Coral restoration is extremely important because it gives us the opportunity to help corals adapt to a rapidly changing environment and hasten their recovery from disastrous events.  Restoration allows for assistance to be given in areas not only affected by bleaching, but also areas that have been affected by disease, development, watershed-based pollution, overfishing, destructive fishing or damage from ships.

  

If there's one thing that I could leave you with, it's just how cool corals are.  There are over 2,500 species of corals; half of which are hard corals and the rest of which are soft corals.  Coral reefs support about 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals and hundreds of other species.  Getting to see organisms interact in coral reefs is one of the most magical things I have ever witnessed, and I hope that my descendants will never have to know a coral-free world.

Aaaand as promised, here is a picture of me seconds after being stung by fire coral (which, by the way, isn't even a real coral; it's more closely related to Hydra).  Fire corals have the evolutionary advantage of  having stinging cells that inflict burn-like stings on human skin, which is a useful form of protection.

I hope you can take this information and use it to make a difference in the wonderful world below sea level :)