Our researcher, Pedro Frade, gave his opinion about the effect of sunscreen products on corals in reportage for Vogue, written by Joana Moreira.

Entitled, “Proteção Coral”, the report focuses on a study published in 2015 in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. Briefly, this study aims to show the effects of oxybenzone (one of the most common ingredients in sunscreens) on corals. These chemicals can cause erosion and bleaching of corals and lead to their death.

Pedro Frade, an expert on coral reefs and their ecosystems, said that "the existing scientific evidence is strong given the scientific results, but is limited in terms of the number of studies". It should be noted that if these substances affect the reproduction of marine invertebrates, they can also have consequences on our coasts and on intertidal organisms. "Although we don't have tropical coral reefs on our coasts, we must be aware of the possible consequences of these types of chemicals and sunscreens on our marine fauna and flora. It isn't uncommon to see the presence of sunscreen products accumulated in the waters of our beaches".

Thus, affirm that caution should be taken and future consequences should be prevented “It’s much better to act to protect the natural resources on which we depend as a global society and as a human species than to take the risk and stick our heads under the sand to find out later that we should and could have done something if we had acted in a timely manner to guard against possible consequences".

To read the full report and our researcher's opinion click HERE.