Scientists believe sunscreen may be dangerous to coral reefs, as the reefs alter a chemical found in the sunblock.
Based on new studies, it doesn’t look like sunscreen is truly the culprit here. While the health of the coral reefs is indeed declining, proving why sunscreen is dangerous to coral reefs has proven difficult. That’s because scientists are unsure what is causing the chemicals in sunscreen to negatively affect the coral reefs.
A group of researchers looking for the root of the problem may have made a discovery. The researchers, who are from Stanford University, believe that sunscreen is dangerous to coral reefs because of a change the corals make to the chemicals. They say that corals convert oxybenzone from a chemical that harmlessly absorbs UV light, into one that can damage biological molecules after it is exposed to UV light.
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