Florida city bans sunscreens with chemicals thought to harm coral

The city of Key West, Florida has banned sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, following the lead of Hawaii, which introduced the world’s first ban on these ingredients in July 2018. The city’s commissioners expressed concern about evidence showing that oxybenzone and octinoxate damage coral reefs, and they approved the motion on 5 February with a vote of 6-1. The only living coral barrier reef in North America sits just a few miles off the Florida Keys.