We all like to have a free day of fun in the sun at the beach…but always remember there is no such thing as a free lunch. Somewhere, someone or something is paying for us to have fun. And this time, coral reefs are paying the price. This past week, I vacationed on Marco Island in Florida.While I slathered myself with my Banana Boat SPF 15 lotion to avoid looking like a tomato, I ignored the findings of arecent study commissioned by the European Commission that showed sun screen causes coral bleaching—even when used in small quantities.Coral bleaching occurs when algae cells within reef tissues die due to environmental pressures. With the beach peppered with domestic and international tourists, like clockwork—when the 3 p.m. sun hit thehardest—my fellow beach bums and I would hit the water to refresh ourselves.What we did not think about was that by splashing around in the water letting our sunscreen ooze off our bodies is that we are killers—coral killers.

           According to environmentalists, coral reefs are among the most biologically productive and diverse of ecosystems and directly sustain a half a billion people! Also, ecologists theorize that only rainforests might provide homes for more species of plant and animal life.Sadly, the cream based ultra violet filters in sun lotions that protect our bodies from the harmful sun’s rays and keep us healthy and protected, are having a detrimental effect on 60 % of the world’s coral reefs—which took the last 5,000-10,000 years to form.To make matters worse, ten percent of coral reefs have already been destroyed by sunscreen and other environmental pollutants. If our use of sunscreen prevails, it is likely that all coral reefs will be dead in 50 years due to the environmental stress UV radiation causes.

But, why should we protect our coral reefs and ditch our sun block or opt to swim only in the pool? Well, aside from them being destroyed at an alarming rate, we know that:

• They provide a food source and a living for many people, particularly in developing nations, like the Philippines and theDominican Republic.
• Anti-cancer drugs and painkillers have been developed from coral reef products.
• Scientists are using the method coral uses to secrete limestone to encourage bone growth in humans.
• They play a vital roll in the global carbon cycle.
• Fossil reefs on land are a source of building stone and cement
• Coralskeletons could be the future of medical bone grafts.
• They break up waves so that shore zones are safer during high tides and storms.

           In order to save our coral reefs, the 78 million tourists we have need to stop leaving their environmental concerns at home when they go on vacation. Just because a vacation is a time to relax does not mean we can relax our “green” efforts. Here are a few ways to keep our coral safe:

• Remove all makeup before heading into the ocean. Most foundations and lip colors contain SPF’s and even these concoctions are deadly to coral.
• Go into the pool to take a dip, not the ocean.
• Use the hotel pool shower to wash off excess sunscreen before going into the water.
• Stay in a pool or hot tub for 20 minutes before heading into the ocean—this is the time it takes for sunscreen to seep out of our skin.
• Go into the ocean early in the morning when you do not need sunscreen—between the hours of 7-10 a.m., the sun is not strong enough to burn you and you do not need sunscreen.
• Spread the word about sun block to fellow beachgoers and vacationers—they may not know about their sunscreen or may have forgotten.
• Call on lawmakers and government officials to make laws to protect our reefs.