Florida City Introduces Sunscreen Ban to Save Imperiled Reefs

Following Hawaii’s lead, the Key West City Commission voted to ban sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate in an effort to protect the Florida Reef Tract. Key West mayor Teri Johnston told the Miami Herald, “We have one reef, and we have to do one small thing to protect that. It’s our obligation.” A bill introduced into the Florida State Legislature looks to make the ban statewide.

This barrier reef system – the only one in North America and the third largest in the world - stretches from the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys, up the eastern coast of the mainland. It’s home to more than 6,000 marine species and protects the coast from tropical storms. Thanks to its natural splendor, the reef attracts divers and tourists who pump over $34 billion into Florida’s economy, creating 36,000 jobs.

The reef also gets 4,000-6,000 tons of washed-off sunscreen a year, according to the National Park Service. A study by Haereticus Environmental Laboratory found that as little as the equivalent of one drop of oxybenzone into six and a half Olympic-size swimming pools is enough to stress vulnerable reefs, alter their genetic makeup, and weaken them against climate change-based damage.

Sun-lovers in Key West and Hawaii have until January 1, 2021, to find ways to replace these damaging chemical sunscreens. The National Park Service, Florida-based environmental group Reef Relief, and the American Academy of Dermotology all include protective clothing like rash guards and sun-safe shirts on their lists of the best ways to protect against broad-spectrum UV sun damage. The Skin Cancer Foundation even lists protective clothing higher than sunscreens when it comes to the best ways to prevent sun damage.

Kids’ rash guards from Lazy Turtle provide a natural SPF of 50+, blocking 98% of harmful UVA and UVB rays. Made from soft, tagless nylon and Spandex, these USA-made rash guards provide comfy, continuous sun protection that won’t wash off like chemical sunscreens. Lazy Turtle’s sun protection shirts for adults provide the same degree of UV protection in a quick-drying, athletic tee design.

“We have one reef, and we have to do one small thing to protect that. It’s our obligation.”

— Teri Johnston, Key West Mayor