Student-led environmental advocacy group Protect Our Future has launched a new campaign focused on promoting the use of reef-safe sunscreen brands in the Cayman Islands.
The group, in a press release issued Friday, noted that non-reef-safe sunscreen chemicals, such as oxybenzone and octinoxate – which are common in many large brand products – contain nanoparticles that disrupt coral’s growth cycles, lead to coral bleaching, and lower a reef’s defences against diseases such as stony coral tissue loss disease.
With corals already facing stressors from disease and climate change, the students of POF say it’s imperative to prevent further reef damage by tackling the sunscreen use in Cayman.
POF member Connor Macdonald and his sunscreen team developed the slogan of the campaign, ‘Our Future Screams for Reef Safe Sunscreen!’, which they say reflects the state of the local reefs and the changes that are needed in order to ensure their health.
Members of the group said they recognised the importance of the reefs in terms of Cayman’s culture, economy, and overall environmental wellbeing, adding that they are a symbol of Caymanian heritage and history, also helping the islands maintain their status as a popular tourist destination, significantly improving the economy.
According to the release, the sunscreen team conducted extensive research which focused on improving the problem and found that the use of reef-safe sunscreen and banning of harmful sunscreens on island would have a dramatic impact on the marine environment surrounding Cayman.
Prior to the launch of Protect Our Future’s sunscreen campaign, the students had been attempting to raise awareness on the issue, in addition to seeking government involvement, the group said.
“Now, the organisation is aiming to educate the public about the issue coinciding with the arrival of summer where sunscreen use is at an all time high,” the release stated.
“Cayman has the opportunity to be forward thinking on this issue and join Hawaii, Key West, Bonaire, Mexico, Palau, Aruba and the US Virgin Islands in this effort. All of these locations have taken action to ban sunscreen that is not reef-safe. Consequently, they have seen amazing results and healthier reefs,” it added.
Protect Our Future said it was hoping to partner with the Department of Environment, the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, and the Cayman Islands government to work on policy change in the coming months.
The students said initial action would include a programme intended to discourage the use of the harmful chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, while promoting reef-safe sunscreen chemicals, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
This would then be followed by the phasing out and eventual ban of brands containing oxybenzone and octinoxate.
“The time to act is now. With the island quickly opening up to tourism, it is more important than ever to educate the public on the issue and try to preserve as much of our reefs as possible,” the group said.
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