Sunscreen Is Not So Sunny: Advocating for Healthy Reefs for Future Generations

By: Chloe McKenna

    Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet and are vital to the marine ecosystem. As a species that is already heavily impacted by climate change through warming waters and harsh storms, as well as pollution, sedimentation, and more, we need to be actively protecting reefs around the world. Many sunscreens on the market contain harmful chemicals that are not only harmful to our bodies but also to coral reefs. The chemicals of these products can accumulate in the tissues of the corals and can induce bleaching, damage DNA, deform young, and can even kill coral species.

    I was inspired to tackle this environmental issue for the Environmental Communication course to apply what I learned throughout the semester to raise awareness about this topic. A lot of environmental issues are incredibly daunting, which can push students away from joining the environmental movement or changing their habits because they do not know where to start. Avoiding chemical sunscreens and transitioning to coral reef-safe sunscreen products is a great first step in protecting the marine environment. An additional first step is getting engaged in policy advocacy and ensuring that local governments can regulate the use and sale of toxic sunscreens, especially in Florida where coral reefs are incredibly important to the ecosystem and coastal communities. I targeted college students at Eckerd College because many students on campus care about the environment, but again, might not know exactly what steps they can take to contribute to coral reef conservation and protection.  

    My project consisted of an advocacy campaign with the goal of encouraging students to use reef-safe sunscreens and to advocate that the state of Florida allow local governments to restrict the use and sale of certain chemicals in sunscreens. Currently, there is a law prohibiting local governments from regulating the use and sale of cosmetics, which includes sunscreens, in Florida. I created an online pledge where students could commit to ditching toxic sunscreens, a map of bans around the world, a policy advocacy toolkit, and general education around the issue through a Sunscreen Is Not So Sunny website. On the website, I featured citizen science groups, like Coralisma and Coral Restoration Foundation, as additional resources and other great groups for people to look into if they are interested in coral conservation. I wanted the website to be a one-stop shop to learn about coral reefs, the issue of toxic sunscreens, the specific chemicals to avoid, reef-safe sunscreen brands to support, and ways that students could engage in solutions, which I feel I was able to accomplish.

    To share the message with students that sunscreen isn’t sunny, I utilized Instagram to reach Eckerd College students and student groups or clubs. I formatted my posts to include important information, like what coral bleaching is and other issues coral reefs face, as well as quick actions including the pledge and an email template to send to Governor DeSantis. I created 10 graphics for the posts on Canva and formatted them to easily catch someone's attention when they were scrolling through their feed. On every post, I used #SunscreenIsNotSoSunny and directed everyone to the Linktree in the bio of the page which has both the link to the pledge and the website. Check out the Instagram (@sunscreensnotsunny) to see all the posts. 

       

    The goals I set for myself at the start of the project were to have 50 students sign the pledge and to have 100 followers at the end of the course. As of 12/13/2021, I have 103 followers on Instagram and 60 students that signed the pledge. I was able to spread the message of my project and this issue through the Sunscreen Is Not So Sunny Instagram page, collaborating with groups like Coralisma and the ECOS Environmental Responsibility Committee (ERC) to post or repost my graphics, hosting a live on the ECOS ERC Instagram page all about my project and what the ERC is working on to make reef-safe sunscreen more accessible on campus, hanging posters around campus, sending a campus-wide email, and conducting relational organizing by reaching out to friends, in my dorm group chat, and student clubs’ group chats.

    

    Even though students at Eckerd were in support of this campaign, the attitude-behavior gap is still prevalent when it comes to any environmental issue. Many individuals favor the practice of using reef-safe sunscreens and want to protect reefs, but in reality, they probably still purchase mainstream sunscreen brands with harmful chemicals because they are cheaper and more easily accessible. Educating everyone about the issue coral reefs face from sunscreen is just the first step. I incorporated the pledge into this project with hopes to decrease this gap and encourage students to transition from mainstream chemical sunscreen brands to coral reef-safe sunscreens.

    The tactics of this campaign allowed me to reach a wide audience of students and environmentalists who wanted to learn more about this issue. Through utilizing various forms of media and communication, it was easier for me to actively engage students. Overall, this campaign shined a light on how coral reefs are impacted by toxic chemicals in sunscreen that many people may not have known about while providing clear alternatives to the issue. 

Project Resources:

Website: https://camckenn4.wixsite.com/sunscreensnotsunny 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunscreensnotsunny/

Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1ahoJbjrK5tSQaVrP9ZRdQdzBdWs9jf1-&usp=sharing 

Pledge: bit.ly/SunscreenPledge 

ECOS ERC Instagram Live: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CXHaYtrpHH_/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet 

Sources:

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Threats to Coral Reefs. EPA. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.epa.gov/coral-reefs/threats-coral-reefs.

Protect Land + Sea Certification. Haereticus. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://haereticus-lab.org/protect-land-sea-certification-3/. 

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Reef Friendly Sunscreens. Surfrider Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/reef-friendly-sunscreens?gclid=Cj0KCQiA7oyNBhDiARIsADtGRZZ5jeSUqSHGn1gHQb-z7cvlpVUHzOhcbXIwa6x9UGCTy8FE12zV5_QaAq87EALw_wcB.

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Restoration program: Coral Restoration Foundation. CRF. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.coralrestoration.org/restoration. 

The Florida Senate. Senate Bill 172 (2020) - The Florida Senate. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/172.

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US Department of Commerce, N. O. and A. A. (2013, June 1). The Importance of Coral Reefs. Corals Tutorial. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/coral07_importance.html.