Sunscreen contributing to decline of coral reefs, study shows

UV filtering chemical is killing off baby coral around tourist resorts, particularly in the Caribbean and Hawaii

A common ingredient found in sunscreen is toxic to coral and contributing to the decline of reefs around the world, according to new research.

Oxybenzone, a UV-filtering chemical compound found in 3,500 brands of sunscreen worldwide, can be fatal to baby coral and damaging to adults in high concentrations, according to the study published on Tuesday in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.