Corals-Sanskriti IAS

Thailand has banned sunscreens containing chemicals that damage coral from all of its marine national parks. Concerns are growing that lotions tourists use for sun protection are harming slow-growing corals.
The Thai Department of Conservation said four ingredients commonly found in sun creams were shown to destroy coral larvae, obstruct coral reproduction and cause reef bleaching. The banned lotions are those containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor or butylparaben.
Corals are members of the phylum Cnidaria, a diverse group that includes jellyfish, hydroids, and sea anemones. Corals are colonial organisms made up of individual polyps, that are connected to one another via a thin layer of tissue. Polyps secrete a calcium carbonate skeleton that becomes the foundation of coral reef ecosystems.
This is the latest attempt by the Thai government to protect its coral from the tourism industry. Anyone flouting the ban can be fined up to £2,100 (100,000 baht). Similar bans have been introduced by the Pacific island of Palau and the US state of Hawaii.

Corals