How does sunscreen lotions impact oceans?

An estimated 8,000 to 14,000 metric tons of sunscreen washes off swimmers’ bodies annually, causing damage to fragile aquatic ecosystems—particularly coral reefs. 

The Reef-Safe Pledge was inspired by Hawaii’s historic ban on the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, which have been proven to harm coral reefs.  As the first place in the world to initiate this ban, Hawaii has helped us reach an important conservation milestone. Each year, 28,000,000 pounds of sunscreen wind up in waters that are home to coral reefs, but 1 drop of oxybenzone is toxic enough to contaminate 6.5 Olympic sized pools worth of water and seriously damage and even kill corals.