--- title: Why Coral Reefs Are Dying: Sunscreen Killing Reefs description: A chemical in sunscreen may be contributing to the destruction of the coral reefs canonical: https://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-21T12:41:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:57:25.166Z article:section: Science og:title: Why Coral Reefs Are Dying: Sunscreen Killing Reefs og:description: A chemical in sunscreen may be contributing to the destruction of the coral reefs og:url: https://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt26c88b0188f65b22/6988691d0a4a2285699c6a4e/coral-reef-suncreen.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2279 og:image:height: 1282 og:image:alt: Coral Reef Bleaching og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Coral Reefs Are Dying: Sunscreen Killing Reefs twitter:description: A chemical in sunscreen may be contributing to the destruction of the coral reefs twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt26c88b0188f65b22/6988691d0a4a2285699c6a4e/coral-reef-suncreen.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How Sunscreen May Be Destroying Coral Reefs > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=64dabe01-56f9-4bc8-aa44-af9c057f425e&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Friday (1x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 40,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 34.2% | TIME, August 2026 | | Click rate | 2.1% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Justin Worland, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Senior leaders shaping the climate transition. An engaged audience of executives and decision-makers spanning operating companies, finance, policy, consulting, communications and media. ### TIME Future Proof: key statements * Future Proof is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Future Proof is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=64dabe01-56f9-4bc8-aa44-af9c057f425e&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/subscribe?i=64dabe01-56f9-4bc8-aa44-af9c057f425e&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's climate and energy newsletter? Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: TIME Explains: Hurricane Sandy and Climate Change [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Explains: Hurricane Sandy and Climate Change](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/X63BKwzy.m3u8) (2:29)  _Published 2012-11-01. TIME senior editor Bryan Walsh explains how climate change may have helped Hurricane Sandy become a superstorm_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Oct 21, 2015 12:41 PM UTC  Corals are bleached on a seabed near Okinawa island on Aug. 26, 2013. Corals are bleached on a seabed near Okinawa island on Aug. 26, 2013. The Yomiuri Shimbun—AP  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Oct 21, 2015 12:41 PM UTC A chemical in sunscreen may be contributing to the destruction of the coral reefs as swimmers trying to protect their skin venture near reefs, according to new research. Researchers behind the [study](http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00244-015-0227-7), published in the journal _Archives of Environmental Contamination and_ Toxicology, found that the chemical oxybenzone has toxic effects on young coral that causes endocrine disruption, DNA damage and death of coral, among other the problems. Oxybenzone also exacerbates coral bleaching, a process by which coral reject symbiotic organisms and lose their color. Bleaching has been particularly prevalent in recent years due to rising sea temperatures. Currently, somewhere between [4,000 and 6,000 tons](http://cdhc.noaa.gov/%5Fdocs/Site%20Bulletin%5FSunscreen%5Ffinal.pdf) of sunscreen enters coral reef areas around the world each year, according to the U.S. National Park Service. That’s a lot of sunscreen considering how little it takes to cause toxic effects. According to the new research, toxicity occurs at a concentration of 62 parts per trillion. That’s the equivalent of a drop of water in an Olympic swimming pool, according to study author Omri Bronstein, a researcher at Tel Aviv University. “Current concentrations of oxybenzone in these coral reef areas pose a significant ecological threat,” Bronstein said in a press release. **Read More**: [Here’s Why You May Soon Be Using Sunscreen in the Dark](http://time.com/3715036/sunscreens-after-dark/) Researchers were careful to note that they are not advocating the swimmers stop wearing sunscreen, which protects against [skin cancer](http://time.com/3907272/skin-cancer-rates-melanoma/). Instead, they urged consumers to consider carefully what sunscreen they buy before swimming in the ocean. Sunscreens with titanium oxide or zinc oxide have not been found to harm reefs, according to the National Park Service. Additionally, swimmers can cover their upper body with long sleeve shirts or other apparel to reduce sunscreen use. Sunscreen is part of a long list of threats to coral reefs that includes pollution, overfishing and climate change. Beyond their impressive appearance, coral reefs play an important role for local communities and the world at large. For one, they contribute to local economies through tourism and sustain ecosystems where people can fish. One [estimate](http://coast.noaa.gov/exit.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fassets.panda.org%2Fdownloads%2Fcesardegradationreport100203.pdf) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put the economic contribution of coral reefs around the world at $30 billion each year. Reefs also protect the global environment by serving as [carbon sinks](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/092181819190117F), absorbing carbon dioxide that would otherwise contribute to global warming. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/"},"headline":"How Sunscreen May Be Destroying Coral Reefs","datePublished":"2015-10-21T12:41:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:57:25.166Z","description":"The effects of a chemical in sunscreen are toxic at the concentration equivalent to a drop of water in an Olympic pool","url":"https://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/","keywords":["Environment"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt26c88b0188f65b22/6988691d0a4a2285699c6a4e/coral-reef-suncreen.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt26c88b0188f65b22/6988691d0a4a2285699c6a4e/coral-reef-suncreen.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Coral Reef Bleaching","caption":"Coral Reef Bleaching","creditText":"The Yomiuri Shimbun—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/environment/","name":"Environment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/","name":"How Sunscreen May Be Destroying Coral Reefs"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Explains: Hurricane Sandy and Climate Change","description":"TIME senior editor Bryan Walsh explains how climate change may have helped Hurricane Sandy become a superstorm","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/X63BKwzy/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2012-11-01T06:39:58.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/X63BKwzy.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/","duration":"PT2M29S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```