Vitally important in terms of biodiversity, culture, and economics; coral reef ecosystems have often been described as the “rainforests of the sea.” Coral reef ecosystems serve as resources for food, income, and protection for over half a billion people. Around the world, healthy and resilient coral reefs are crucially important to indigenous cultures. As hotspots of biodiversity, they “cover less than 1% of the ocean’s floor, but nearly one million species of fish, invertebrates, and algae are estimated to live in and around the world’s reefs.” (National Park Service). In addition to the value of coral reefs in terms of biodiversity, culture, and nature, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) notes that coral reef ecosystems provide an estimated economic value of 375 billion dollars per year.
Despite the abundant benefits of healthy coral reefs, they are facing mounting threats. Scientists estimate that up to ten percent of the world’s reefs are threatened due to sunscreen induced coral reef bleaching. (Danovaro et al.). Studies have shown that even at extremely low concentrations, certain chemicals in sunscreen, such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, are causing rapid and complete bleaching of hard corals. (Danovaro et al.). A 2016 study concluded that “oxybenzone poses a hazard to coral reef conservation and threatens the resiliency of coral reefs to climate change.” (Downs et al.). Estimates show that 6,000 to 14,000 tons of sunscreen wash into the ocean every year, yet this is not spread out amongst the entire ocean, instead it is concentrated in some of the world’s most popular marine destination areas, such as national parks.
Worldwide, coral reef degradation is a critical concern. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Aichi Target 10 sought to reduce anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs, yet the Fourth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook found that “we have actually moved away from achieving this target.” To counter this trend, the Conference of the Parties (COP) adopted priority actions, including “reducing the impacts of multiple stressors, in particular those stressors that are more tractable at the regional, national, and local levels.” The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) adopted goal 3-5, specifically related to the impacts of sunscreens on coral reefs. In response to this goal, the Government of Sweden conducted a study on the impacts of sunscreens on coral reefs and advocated for a proactive and precautionary approach.
In 2018, the Hawaiʻi Legislature recognized the harmful impacts of oxybenzone and octinoxate to Hawaii’s marine environment and enacted a law banning the sale of sunscreens containing those chemicals. Additional regions have begun adopting bans of sunscreens containing chemicals harmful to coral reefs, including Palau, US Virgin Islands, certain parts of Mexico, and parts of the Florida Keys. While most bans prohibit the sale, some bans, including the US Virgin Islands ban, also prohibit the distribution and import of sunscreens containing harmful chemicals. With the health and resiliency of coral reef ecosystems at risk, the damaging impacts of certain chemicals found in sunscreen is a key concern. IUCN support would serve a valuable purpose in conserving these incomparable ecosystems.

• Center for Environmental Legal Studies [United States of America]
• Center for Large Landscape Conservation [United States of America]
• Environmental Law Program at the William S. Richardson School of Law [United States of America]
• Re:wild [United States of America]
• Palau Conservation Society [Palau]
• SYLVIA EARLE ALLIANCE (DBA MISSION BLUE) [United States of America]