The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2,300 kilometres along Australia's northeast coast. It's the largest living structure on Earth, visible from space, and home to over 1,500 species of fish, 400 types of coral, and countless other marine organisms. It's also in serious trouble.
A reef under siege
Since 1995, the Great Barrier Reef has lost more than 50% of its coral cover. Mass bleaching events in 2016, 2017, 2020, and 2022 devastated large sections. While rising ocean temperatures from climate change are the primary driver, sunscreen chemicals act as a compounding stressor that weakens coral's ability to survive.
Think of it this way: climate change is like a chronic illness weakening the reef. Sunscreen chemicals are like secondary infections that exploit that weakness. Coral that might survive a mild bleaching event can be pushed past the point of recovery when simultaneously exposed to toxic chemicals. Learn more about how these chemicals damage coral at the molecular level.
Tourism's double-edged sword
Over 2 million tourists visit the Great Barrier Reef each year, generating $6.4 billion for the Australian economy. Tourism creates powerful economic incentives to protect the reef — but it also concentrates sunscreen pollution in the most visited areas.
Popular snorkelling and diving sites can see hundreds of visitors per day, each wearing sunscreen that washes off within minutes of entering the water. Research has found sunscreen chemical concentrations at popular reef tourism sites that are 10 to 100 times higher than levels known to cause coral damage.
Oxybenzone causes coral bleaching at concentrations as low as 62 parts per trillion. Concentrations at popular reef tourism sites have been measured at levels far exceeding this threshold.
What Australia can learn from other nations
Hawaii banned the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate in 2021. The Republic of Palau went further, banning all sunscreens containing any of 10 identified reef-toxic chemicals. The US Virgin Islands, Aruba, and Bonaire have followed with similar legislation. Read our in-depth look at what Hawaii and Palau can teach Australia.
Australia — home to the world's most iconic reef system — has no such legislation. There are no restrictions on reef-toxic sunscreen chemicals, no regulated definition of "reef-safe," and limited public awareness campaigns about the issue.
Every choice counts
While policy change is needed at the national level, individual choices matter right now. If even 30% of Australians switched to truly reef-safe sunscreen, the reduction in chemical pollution entering our waterways would be significant. Combined with UPF clothing and shade-seeking behaviour, we can dramatically reduce the chemical burden on our reefs while still protecting our skin. Check our guide to choosing reef-safe sunscreen.
Share this article and switch to reef-safe sunscreen. Small changes, massive impact.
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