http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... coral.html
Some more self-flagellating eco green-tosh. All this based upon one 2008 study (above), out of Italy, that tied plastic bags around coral and then filled them with chemicals. Surprise, bad things happened to the coral!
About as useful as sticking me in a vat of whisky for a week. It's probably not going to work out too well is it.
There is no research on the effects of a diver wearing sunblock, swimming over a reef, and nothing akin or approaching it. Nada, nothing.
And yet here you have the cosmetics industry building a hugely profitable strawman, and product line... <sigh>
I've dived in many places. And with several very 'eco aware' dive operations, and one (Tioman) that carries out
serious scientific reef census and regeneration work. But I've never heard it suggested sunblock damages reefs.
IME what kills reefs is:
- Overfishing
- Shark-finning
- Dynamite fishing
- Bad mooring practises (anchors etc)
- Pollutant run-off into the sea.
etc.
I'd say if you don't like it -
- Wear Zinc Oxide cream (diaper/nappy rash cream). Works well, costs peanuts.
If you're going to claim that Zinc Oxide isn't biodegradable, well neither is sand. Should sand be banned from the sea?
Still not good enough? Well protect the reefs from yourself, by simply not going in the sea.