Scientists Now Know Why Sunscreen Harms Corals
A new study shows that, when exposed to sunlight, anemones turn a chemical found in sunscreen into a toxin
Margaret Osborne
Daily Correspondent
May 12, 2022 2:50 p.m.
Researchers tested how oxybenzone and sunlight combined harms anemones in a new study. Aleksei Permiakov via Getty Images
Researchers have long known that oxybenzone, a chemical found in sunscreen, is harmful to corals. But exactly why and how it affects these animals has remained a mystery.
Now scientists at Stanford University have discovered that when exposed to sunlight, anemones—which are closely related to corals—make oxybenzone water-soluble by combining it with sugar, but this process also makes the chemical toxic to the animal. They published their findings in the journal Science.
Corals live symbiotically with algae. However, when subject to high temperatures or other stressors, the marine invertebrates expel the algae and turn completely white. This process, called coral bleaching, leaves the animals vulnerable to mortality.
To figure out how oxybenzone harms anemones, the researchers tested the effects of the chemical and sunlight on anemones with their algae and without it. In an artificial environment, they found that all anemones exposed to oxybenzone and sun died within 17 days, while those exposed to only oxybenzone survived.
More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-now-know-why-sunscreen-harms-corals-180980076/
