Thursday, January 24, 2008

Sunscreens go viral on coral

Ingredients used in sunscreen lotion damage coral reefs, according to this story from Environmental Science and Technology Online. The chemicals activate viruses that hasten and intensify coral bleaching. Thousands of tons of this glop washes off swimmers and disrupts the ecosystem of reefs. Maybe you should just stay out of the water.

Photo of bleached coral by US Geological Survey.

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