[Coral-List] Hawaii bans sunscreens deemed harmful to coral reefs
Melbourne Briscoe
Mel at briscoe.com
Tue May 15 13:13:03 EDT 2018
I must say, as a long-time practitioner and observer of science and scientists and conservation organizations, that there are certainly a lot of heads-in-the-sand in this thread. It is the classic confrontation: the forces of the "do anything you can to help, every step is worth taking, all the drops of water add up" community, versus the forces of "focus on what is important, don't dilute your effort, ignore the small stuff" community. Both are well represented in this thread.
The problem, of course, is once somebody has done something -- no matter how inconsequential -- they feel better, and so are in danger of stopping there. Many posts have said you can have both approaches. But, usually, you don't successfully have both, if only because of attention span, there being only 24h in a day, and the natural inclination to pat oneself on the back for having done something without putting it in the context of "but did I actually do anything that will make a difference?"
There is an old Italian proverb that translates to "trying to make a hole in the water." It connotes an endeavor doomed to have no lasting consequence. I had a job once where we had to prioritize all the possible things we could do, from having-the-most-impact at the top, right down to trivialities at the bottom. Then, we went down the list until we found something we could afford. The analogy here is that everybody here seems to agree on what the high-impact things are, but many are perfectly willing to drop way down the list to something they can do. They've spent their time and attention, but the big things are untouched. They are making a hole in the water.
I challenge you to do this: plot impact versus difficulty for each of the things you can think of that will help coral reefs, and do NOT then pick the low-impact items even if they are low difficulty. Stick with high-impact items, and examine each them to figure out how to make it easier, or cheaper, or more tractable. Sometimes the high-impact item can be parsed into less-difficult pieces. Let your actions have some impact, and not just feel good.
/end of rant and sermon
-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> On Behalf Of Bargar, Timothy
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2018 07:56
To: Liz Wood <ewood at f2s.com>
Cc: coral list <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] [EXTERNAL] Re: Hawaii bans sunscreens deemed harmful to coral reefs
Doug, Liz, Emilie and all,
I have been lurking on this list for a few years since I was told I should read some of the discussions about sunscreen chemicals. I've never participated in any of the discussions on other subjects, but have enjoyed reading the debates. I decided to provide some input in this thread because I do have some experience in the subject of environmental toxicology.
There was a question about effects on the reef that can be linked to sunscreen chemicals. I have not yet seen any papers specifically citing sunscreen chemicals being responsible for effects in the open reef environment. However, the lack of such reports does not mean organisms in the reefs are not stressed by those chemicals when adequately exposed.
Laboratory studies with aquatic organisms exposed to the chemicals have demonstrated that aquatic organisms can be adversely affected given sufficient exposure. Emilie has done well citing some of those effects.
But in the field where there are many other stressors, assigning causality to individual stressors (not just contaminants) is problematic. Laboratory studies are the starting point that can help us begin to interpret what we see in the environment.
Many of the reported effect levels for sunscreen chemicals, that is concentrations in water that result in the effects, are well above what I've seen reported for concentrations in marine environments. Effect levels for coral larvae exposed to benzophenone-3, as reported by Craig Downs and his collaborators, are among the few less than concentrations I have found and other have reported for the marine environment. Hence, the concern for that particular chemical. In my humble opinion, more work is needed to understand and detect the potential for effects of this chemical in the marine environment.
The scale of effects for sunscreen chemical contamination is not the same as that for climate change. I don't believe the intent for anybody that has pointed to the issue with sunscreen chemicals has felt it was of greater global significance than climate change. Rather, it is one of many issues that resource managers I've worked with at the local scale can and wish to manage and does need attention.
Regards
Tim
On Sun, May 13, 2018 at 5:58 PM, Liz Wood <ewood at f2s.com> wrote:
> Hello Doug and all,
>
> I agree 100% that we must concentrate our efforts on the most serious
> threats to coral reefs – namely global climate change and a range of
> local issues from over-fishing, destructive fishing, coastal
> development and run-off etc etc.
>
> Currently – as outlined in the review - there is an on-going debate
> about the extent of damage/stress caused by sunscreen pollution, with
> different studies indicating levels of risk from minimal to
> significant. Despite the uncertainty and the fact that other threats
> are of greater magnitude, a precautionary approach for sunscreens is
> still justified. This need not/should not detract from action on
> climate change and the myriad other threats.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Liz
>
> From: Douglas Fenner
> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2018 1:00 AM
> To: Emilie Johnsen
> Cc: Liz Wood ; coral list
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Hawaii bans sunscreens deemed harmful to
> coral reefs
>
> I’m glad as I’m sure many are, to see something that we can
> actually make progress on, to protect coral reefs. Glad to see action
> taken. What I worry about is whether this is a priority or not.
> Getting something constructive done that helps reefs is great. But
> we’d better be realistic, or we’re going to lose the world’s coral
> reef ecosystems. I think we are in a time in which we have to do
> triage. Triage is when a medical team is flooded with patients, they
> have to choose which to treat first. They generally choose those that
> are in the worst condition for which they have a chance of saving
> their lives. Those that can wait will have to. It would be
> counter-productive to treat small scratches while patients are dying
> of bullet wounds. Our patient (the world’s coral reef ecosystems) is
> dying, it is abundantly obvious. We can concentrate our effort on
> scratches, and if we do our patient will die. People are starting to
> say, “we’ve done all we can on climate change” implying further effort
> there is wasted. The deniers and fossil fuel industry, plus the cost
> of action and inertia, have conspired and have won. Congratulations
> deniers, you’ve won. Meantime, the dive industry won’t speak up, and
> the world’s nations are offering too little too late, they aren’t
> doing what they promised, and they aren’t increasing their promises
> enough to avoid disaster. This is a planetary emergency and fiddling
> while Rome burns isn’t going to save reef ecosystems or corals. Are
> sunblock chemicals worth a lot of effort? Yes if you have high value
> reefs that have huge numbers of tourists. No if you have vast areas
> of reefs far from all but a few tourists. And the vast majority of
> the world’s reefs are in the latter condition. Do triage, and you
> find out that sunscreen chemicals are truly the scratch on the wrist,
> while global warming is the bullet that went into the heart (and things like overfishing, nutrients, sedimentation, and coral disease are next on almost everybody’s list).
>
> I think it is time to redouble efforts to get climate change
> under control. It can be done, we’d better act fast because the
> deniers have successfully delayed action until it is almost
> impossible, and they’re still fighting tooth and nail (successfully)
> to save the trillions of dollars that go into their favorite fossil
> fuel companies. Make no mistake about where the real threat is. It
> isn’t in sunscreens (unless you have a reef that is tiny, high-value,
> and highly impacted by tourists). How many reefs have been documented
> to have been killed by sunscreen? (none that I know of.) How many by
> mass coral bleaching? (we’ve lost count.) I say let’s get real and
> face the facts. Sunscreens don’t threaten the world’s coral reef
> ecosystems. Mass coral bleaching from global warming does, and so do
> several other things. If we allow ourselves to be sidetracked by
> minor local things and spend effort on that instead of on the big issues, kiss coral reefs good-by.
>
> Cheers, Doug
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, May 12, 2018 at 11:28 PM, Emilie Johnsen
> <emiliejohnsen2 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Liz,
>
> Thank you so much for providing that new report! I am a recent
> graduate of Nova Southeastern University's Oceanographic Center (Dania Beach, FL).
> Coincidental to the recent news, my capstone investigated the
> toxicological effects of commercial sunscreens on corals and other
> reef organisms in addition to a pilot study involving Coral
> Restoration Foundation's sunscreen exposure to A. cervicornis. There
> is a lot of information regarding sunscreen toxicity that the public
> (science community, even) does not know. I wish articles and social media posts would be more accurate....
> Anyway, below is the summary of my investigation (with the guidance of Dr..
> Esther Peters and Dr. Joshua Feingold) to add to that report:
>
> Based on the review of 40 studies involving the exposure of
> commercial sunscreens to various marine organisms:
>
> - Chemical UV filters can be toxic, but it depends on many factors :
> species, individual health, environmental factors, and the UV filter
> being tested, among others (based on 13/40 studies). Additionally,
> toxicity depends on how much of the chemical is being exposed, how
> much is absorbed by the organism, and the organism's ability to expel
> and/or detoxify the toxicant. Whether or not there are any
> physicochemical reactions between chemical UV filters and seawater is
> poorly studied. Currently, their toxicity is only considered
> dose-dependent with influences from environmental conditions.
>
> - Mineral UV filters are also considered toxic, but the
> reasoning is more complex. Based on 28/40 studies, mineral ZnO and
> TiO2 nanoparticle toxicity is not only dose-dependent like chemical UV
> filters, but their physicochemical effects in seawater also make them
> a threat to various marine life. These physicochemical reactions
> include dissociation of mineral oxides into free-metal ions,
> photoreactivity, and aggregation into sediments. In some cases, free
> Zn2+ and Ti2+ was considered more toxic, especially for marine
> phytoplankton. (Free metal ions can actually inhibit manganese uptake
> which is vital for phytoplankton growth!) Interestingly, in addition
> to the influence of environmental factors on mineral UV filter
> toxicity, particle size was also a huge factor. This is why many "reef-safe" brands will advertise the use of "non-nano" mineral UV filters.
> Metal oxide nanoparticles have toxic capabilities, but a couple
> studies indicate that non-nanoparticles ( > 100 nm) can actually be
> more toxic to certain filter feeders due to higher uptake
> concentration (D'Agata et al., 2014), while some crustaceans and fish
> struggle with bioavailability (Wong et al., 2010). Despite this, it
> does appear that--compared to chemical UV filters and mineral
> nanoparticles-- non-nano mineral UV filters are most promising to best
> reduce (albeit not completely eliminate) toxicity to marine organisms.
>
> Furthermore, there are no current regulations that enforce the
> integrity of sunscreen advertisement claims. Many brands will claim
> themselves as "eco-friendly", but there is nothing but their word to actually back it up.
> (See the brand "Reef-Safe" as a perfect example.) I therefore applaud
> Hawaii in their efforts to ban certain sunscreen chemicals, however it
> is just the tip of the iceberg. Our oceans face a plethora of issues
> under the name of climate change, but we all must remember...chemical
> pollution is one of the hierarchal problems here, and it is disguised in many forms.
>
>
> Best,
>
> Emilie Johnsen
>
> Master's Recipient, 2018
> Nova Southeastern University's Halmos College of Natural Sciences
> and Oceanography
>
>
>
> On Mon, May 7, 2018 at 5:01 PM, Liz Wood <ewood at f2s.com> wrote:
>
> Dear listers,
>
> To add to the on-going debate about sunscreens I would like to
> draw your
> attention to a briefing on this issue posted on the International
> Coral Reef
> Initiative website in February 2018, prior to the implementation
> of the ban
> in Hawaii.
>
> https://www.icriforum.org/sites/default/files/ICRI_Sunscreen.pdf
>
> Best regards,
>
> Liz Wood
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Douglas Fenner
> Sent: Saturday, May 5, 2018 1:28 PM
> To: coral list
> Subject: [Coral-List] Hawaii bans sunscreens deemed harmful to
> coral reefs
>
> https://www.yahoo.com/news/hawaii-bans-sunscreens-deemed-har
> mful-054453351.html
>
> Open-access.
>
> Hawaii approves bill banning sunscreen believed to kill coral reefs.
>
> https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/02/607765760
> /hawaii-approves-bill-banning-sunscreen-believed-to-kill-coral-reefs
>
> Open-access.
>
> No, your sunscreen isn't killing the world's coral reefs.
>
> https://mashable.com/2015/11/10/sunscreen-killing-coral-reef
> s/?utm_campaign=Mash-BD-Synd-Yahoo-Science-Full&utm_cid=
> Mash-BD-Synd-Yahoo-Science-Full#45AuyLkru5qH
>
> Open-access.
>
> Cheers, Doug
>
> --
> Douglas Fenner
> Contractor for NOAA NMFS Protected Species, and consultant
> PO Box 7390
> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 USA
>
> New online open-access field guide to 300 coral species in Chagos,
> Indian
> Ocean
> http://chagosinformationportal.org/corals
>
> Even without El Nino, 2017 temperatures soared.
>
> http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/even-without-el-ni-o-
> 2017-temperatures-still-soared?utm_campaign=news_weekly_
> 2018-01-19&et_rid=17045989&et_cid=1800664
>
> Coral reefs are bleaching too frequently to recover
> https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/01/the-glob
> al-scourge-on-coral-reefs/549713/?utm_source=atlfb
>
> How to save the "tropical rainforests" of the ocean
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2018/01/
> 09/coral-reefs/?tid=ss_tw-bottom&utm_term=.80ce291c546b
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Douglas Fenner
> Contractor for NOAA NMFS Protected Species, and consultant
>
> PO Box 7390
> Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 USA
>
>
> New online open-access field guide to 300 coral species in Chagos,
> Indian Ocean http://chagosinformationportal.org/corals
>
> Even without El Nino, 2017 temperatures soared.
>
> http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/even-without-el-ni-o-
> 2017-temperatures-still-soared?utm_campaign=news_weekly_
> 2018-01-19&et_rid=17045989&et_cid=1800664
>
> Coral reefs are bleaching too frequently to recover
> https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/01/the-glob
> al-scourge-on-coral-reefs/549713/?utm_source=atlfb
>
> How to save the "tropical rainforests" of the ocean
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/theworldpost/wp/2018/01/
> 09/coral-reefs/?tid=ss_tw-bottom&utm_term=.80ce291c546b
>
> _______________________________________________
> Coral-List mailing list
> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
>
--
***********************************************
Tim Bargar, Ph.D.
Research Ecotoxicologist
The USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
7920 NW 71st Street
Gainesville, Florida 32653
**********************************************
"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it's in your power to help them."
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