HILO — A study published in 2015 raised eyebrows around the state.
The same sunscreen that protected humans from dangerous UV rays as they snorkeled amid Hawaii’s coral reefs also was contributing to the demise of those same reefs.
At fault was a compound called oxybenzone, which was found to increase coral sensitivity to changes in water temperature, damage DNA and kill young coral by causing them to encase themselves in their own skeleton.
The study, conducted by 14 marine scientists, also found that oxybenzone also can kill or cause deformities in young reef fish and sea urchins. Research was conducted in waters around Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2011.
The prospect of the already-threatened reefs facing down yet another stressor prompted many in the state Legislature to attempt action this year.
Several sunscreen measures were introduced this session, including six banning the sale of sunscreen containing oxybenzone, three banning the use or application of the product, one requiring that store displays contain warnings about the dangers of oxybenzone and one appropriating funds to the University of Hawaii for further study.
Of those, just two will cross over: the UH appropriation measure and one of the application bans.
State Rep. Nicole Lowen, D-Kailua-Kona, Holualoa, Kalaoa, Honokohau, who introduced one of the sales measures that did not pass through, said she had considered crafting an application bill but ultimately decided against it.
“To me, banning the sale is a lot more effective,” she said. “How do you enforce a ban on the use? Is somebody going to walk around the beach policing and seeing what sunscreen people are applying?”
“People might bring their own sunscreen here, or maybe order some online, but just taking it off the shelves would have a big impact.”
Lowen’s bill, along with the other House bills, did not receive a hearing before the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.
Trade groups such as the local Hawaii Food Industry Association and the national Consumer Healthcare Products Association have spoken out against bans of any sort.
Carlos Gutierrez, vice president of state and local government affairs for the CHPA, said in written testimony that there was no evidence that a ban would improve the reefs’ health and that “coral experts around the world are unanimous in the opinion that global climate change is the major factor affecting coral health.”
The authors of the original 2015 study did not dispute that, noting in their original publication that “oxybenzone …threatens the resiliency of coral reefs to climate change.”
Some types of sunscreen, such as those containing zinc oxide and titanium oxide, also are effective against UV rays but do not contain oxybenzone. Zinc oxide is considered the better blocker, according to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.
Steven Colbert, a marine science professor at UH-Hilo, said the sunscreen research had trickled into the classroom.
“What we’re trying to do is that at the beginning of the semester, especially for labs going on field trips, we’re talking to the students so they know what the sunscreens are and what to do to protect the reef,” he said.
For an upcoming field trip with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund, students were asked to bring along oxybenzone-free sunscreen on the excursion.
HWF has been vocal in its support of the legislation, providing testimony for several bills.
Other groups also have been active in trying to spread the word about oxybenzone.
“A number of people I know who are in the ocean recreation industry make an effort to tell their customers, but we can’t count on that happening (all the time),” Lowen said.
“Our decision to carry things that are good for the environment hasn’t most recently been based on any one study,” said Jeanne White, director of education for Jack’s Diving Locker in Kailua-Kona. “We try to make sure everything we sell is reef-safe; we’re trying to do everything we can to protect the environment for the future.”
White said Jack’s stocks brands such as Stream2Sea and Sun Bum, which don’t contain oxybenzone, and the company was in strong support of HB 450, the bill to fund additional research at UH.
“We support more studying and making scientific decisions,” she said.
Lowen said she was hopeful a sales ban could be incorporated into an amended form of the crossover bill.
“I hope there’s a pass this year, or relatively soon, in the next few years,” she said.