usvi-on-line
Coral Bleaching
Coral Bleaching
This is discouraging to read 
, especially for those of us who love to snorkel and explore St. John's aquatic environment.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080523/ts ... eciescoral
Got me thinking though. Last week was the first trip I used a 50 spf rashguard while snorkelling (tired of getting sunburn
on my back while checking out the critters).
An unconsidered benefit of this though was I probably used 75% less sun-block than usual - the rashguard accounting for a significant area of coverage (somehow as I get older the area to cover seems to be increasing
)
If we all used rashguards, might that reduce our impact on the reefs? Is this why the coral at Trunk and Hawksnest seem less healthy than that at Waterlemon (fewer visitors therefore fewer amounts of suncreen).
Something to consider.
, especially for those of us who love to snorkel and explore St. John's aquatic environment.http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080523/ts ... eciescoral
Got me thinking though. Last week was the first trip I used a 50 spf rashguard while snorkelling (tired of getting sunburn
on my back while checking out the critters).An unconsidered benefit of this though was I probably used 75% less sun-block than usual - the rashguard accounting for a significant area of coverage (somehow as I get older the area to cover seems to be increasing
)If we all used rashguards, might that reduce our impact on the reefs? Is this why the coral at Trunk and Hawksnest seem less healthy than that at Waterlemon (fewer visitors therefore fewer amounts of suncreen).
Something to consider.
OMG! Thanks for posting that! I honestly had no idea that such a small amount of sunscreen can do so much damage! I also bought a rashguard for our trip this year, and I wish I would've read this before we went. I would've used it more and the sunscreen less.
I hope a company can develop a sunscreen that won't damage the coral.
I hope a company can develop a sunscreen that won't damage the coral.
A mind is like a parachute. It only works when it's open.
For our upcoming trip to Cozumel we have bought biodegradeable sunscreen, in part because that's what is required when diving/snorkeling/swimming within the confines of the Cozumel Marine Park.
I confess to not knowing as much about this as I should (yet!), but I assume and hope that this is a requirement because they have good reason to believe that using this instead of standard sunscreen is not as damaging to the reefs.
I confess to not knowing as much about this as I should (yet!), but I assume and hope that this is a requirement because they have good reason to believe that using this instead of standard sunscreen is not as damaging to the reefs.
Come see us!
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California Girl
My first reaction to this was "oh come on now - wouldnt it be diluted to almost unmeasurable quantities?"
So, in the spirit of "trust but verify", I looked up the actual journal article and this section caught my eye:
"Estimates of release of sunscreen in reef areas: The global release of sunscreens in areas harboring coral reefs can be roughly estimated from their average daily use and the number of tourists. An average dose application of 2 mg/cm2 of sunscreen (dose suggested by the U.S. FDA) for a full body surface of 1.0 m2 results in an average usage of 20 g per application (Poiger et al. 2004). We consider a conservative measure of two daily applications per tourist traveling on a 5-day average tourist package, and a rough estimate of 78 million of tourists per year in areas hosting reefs [10% of world tourists registered in 2004; United Nations World Trade Organization (UNWTO) 2007].
Based on this calculation and on annual production of UV filters, between 16,000 and 25,000 tons of sunscreens are expected to be used in tropical countries. According to our experiment, it is estimated that at least 25% of the amount applied is washed off during swimming and bathing, accounting for a potential release of 4,000–6,000 tons/year in reef areas. Because 90% of tourists are expected to be concentrated in approximately 10% of the total reef areas, we estimated that up to 10% of the world reefs is potentially threatened by sunscreen-induced coral bleaching."
While no need to go all chicken little on this, it is yet another thing that cant be good for the coral and is another good reason to wear a rashguard.
So, in the spirit of "trust but verify", I looked up the actual journal article and this section caught my eye:
"Estimates of release of sunscreen in reef areas: The global release of sunscreens in areas harboring coral reefs can be roughly estimated from their average daily use and the number of tourists. An average dose application of 2 mg/cm2 of sunscreen (dose suggested by the U.S. FDA) for a full body surface of 1.0 m2 results in an average usage of 20 g per application (Poiger et al. 2004). We consider a conservative measure of two daily applications per tourist traveling on a 5-day average tourist package, and a rough estimate of 78 million of tourists per year in areas hosting reefs [10% of world tourists registered in 2004; United Nations World Trade Organization (UNWTO) 2007].
Based on this calculation and on annual production of UV filters, between 16,000 and 25,000 tons of sunscreens are expected to be used in tropical countries. According to our experiment, it is estimated that at least 25% of the amount applied is washed off during swimming and bathing, accounting for a potential release of 4,000–6,000 tons/year in reef areas. Because 90% of tourists are expected to be concentrated in approximately 10% of the total reef areas, we estimated that up to 10% of the world reefs is potentially threatened by sunscreen-induced coral bleaching."
While no need to go all chicken little on this, it is yet another thing that cant be good for the coral and is another good reason to wear a rashguard.
When we come to place where the sea and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide
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snorkeloony
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:00 am
- Location: North Georgia
http://www.coolibar.com/03210.htmlWow! Now I feel like I need a complete long sleeve top and pants rashguard outfit! Is there such a thing as rashguard pants??
We just got back from St. John, where we spent 4-5 hours per day snorkeling. I'm very fair-skinned, so I got a zip-up top and "swim tights" from Coolibar specifically for the trip. I can say that they are very effective--I didn't even get freckles. The only thing was, I kept having to remind myself to tuck the shirt into the swim tights! They dry quickly, too, so that was helpful.
My regular lightweight "rash suit" is skintight and one-piece, from neck to ankles, so the new togs were a refreshing change, especially for bathroom trips. (If you wear a bikini or tankini underneath, it's almost like being in street clothes.)
For our upcoming trip to Cozumel we have bought biodegradeable sunscreen, in part because that's what is required when diving/snorkeling/swimming within the confines of the Cozumel Marine Park.
I used Sun Safari sunscreen on my hands and forehead. It's the "official sunscreen" of the Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Florida, so I think (hope!!!) it's safe to use around coral.
Last edited by snorkeloony on Sat May 24, 2008 7:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sun4MySoul
- Posts: 524
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- Location: NC
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chicagoans
- Posts: 1586
- Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:51 pm
- Location: IL
Mexitan is a brand of biodegradable sunblock that was recommended to me (I'm sure there are several others):
http://www.barnaclekove.com/barnaclekove/mexitan.htm
http://www.barnaclekove.com/barnaclekove/mexitan.htm
You're post reminded me about our visit to Chankanaab Park in Cozumel in March (which I believe is considered part of the Cozumel Marine Park). I had forgotten until seeing your post that I read on their website long before our cruise that only biodegradable sunscreen was allowed in the park but they did absolutely nothing to try to ensure that people were using biodegradable products. We had regular sunscreen because I had forgot about the biodegradable rule by the time we cruised. I would have gladly purchased it at the park if they had asked if we had biodegradable sunblock when we purchased our entrance tickets but they didn't ask and they didn't ask at the rental booth where we rented our fins either so I suspect the majority of visitors at Chankanaab are using regular sunscreen because they don't know they're supposed to be using anything different. I don't think there were even any signs posted about it, unless we missed them.augie wrote:For our upcoming trip to Cozumel we have bought biodegradeable sunscreen, in part because that's what is required when diving/snorkeling/swimming within the confines of the Cozumel Marine Park.
We're visiting St Thomas and St John for the second time in December and after seeing this post I will definitely be looking for some biodegradable sunblock before our trip.
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California Girl
I've been learning a lot about being "green" recently. I also know that "degradable" and "biodegradable" are different. I know that a LOT of companies are now jumping on the bandwagon with "green" products that aren't necessarily green, just so they can be groovy.
Does the fact that a sunscreen states that its biodegradable necessarily mean that it doesn't contain the chemicals and elements that harm the coral, specifically?
Does the fact that a sunscreen states that its biodegradable necessarily mean that it doesn't contain the chemicals and elements that harm the coral, specifically?
Last bumped by Anonymous on Wed Jul 05, 2023 9:59 pm.