More on sunscreen and coral

Interesting news out of Britain about sunscreen and coral.

Someone noticed that corals are able to protect themselves from UV rays which are particularly strong in the tropics (some corals are exposed to direct air and sunlight during low tides, others remain completely submerged but still close enough to the surface to get direct sunlight).

After some research scientists from King’s College London now believe that algae living on the coral create a substance that spreads to the coral and protects both the algae and the coral from sunburn. They also believe that the protective benefits of the substance are passed on to fish who feed on the coral and algae, so even the fish are protected. They (the scientists) are trying to isolate the substance and develop it for use in lotions and even pill form. What a beautifully harmonic irony this is after the recent news that traditional sunscreens are harmful to coral.