Every time we dip into Florida’s sparkling coastal waters, we may be bringing something harmful with us. Many beachgoers don’t realize that common ingredients in chemical sunscreens can literally bleach the life out of coral reefs.
Certain UV-filtering chemicals in traditional sunscreens, like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and octocrylene, don’t stay on your skin. They rinse off when you swim, shower, or sweat, leaching into Florida’s oceans and waterways. Once there, they can:
- Damage coral DNA.
- Disrupt coral development.
- Induce coral bleaching
- Impair the growth of green algae, which affects photosynthesis.
- Disrupt the immune systems of sea urchins and mussels.
- Alter reproductive hormones in fish.
- Accumulate in dolphin tissue and transfer to calves.
This chemical cocktail is a recipe for ecological disaster, especially for a reef already fighting for survival.
Florida’s Coral Reef needs a break.
Florida’s Coral Reef is the third largest barrier reef in the world. It’s a powerhouse of biodiversity, home to a quarter of all marine species and responsible for over $300 million in seafood revenue and hundreds of millions more in storm protection each year.
But rising ocean temperatures, stony coral tissue loss disease, and invasive species have devastated large portions of the reef. Without urgent action, more sections could be lost forever.
That’s why our Foundation is proud to support the Florida Coral Rescue Center (FCRC), the largest gene bank of rescued Florida corals. This Orlando-based facility is more than a coral holding tank: it’s a coral nursery, research hub, and beacon of hope.
Just this year, the FCRC saw its third successful spawning of rough cactus coral, a threatened species that had never spawned in human care before FCRC. These tiny coral babies will grow strong across partner facilities before being outplanted onto Florida’s reefs, helping build a future of heat- and disease-resistant coral colonies.
Our Foundation also funds bold new research through our Freedom to Fail grants and provides emergency support to heatwave response efforts because coral conservation doesn’t happen in calm waters.
Choosing reef-safe sunscreen is one of the simplest, most effective ways to help. Look for mineral-based sunscreens that use non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, ingredients that sit on your skin rather than dissolve into the water.
Or better yet, rock that sun shirt, hat, or UPF rash guard. Bonus: less reapplying, more reef-saving.
Here’s how to help:
- Switch to reef-safe sunscreen.
- Cover up with UPF clothing.
- Avoid peak sun hours (10 am – 2 pm).
- Support coral restoration efforts with a donation.
- Purchase a “Discover Florida’s Oceans” license plate.
- Learn more about the importance of Florida’s Coral Reef.
