House kills funding for study on coral

A bill that would have appropriated tax money for a study regarding the effects of sunscreen on coral reefs was rejected at a hearing Friday, as lawmakers refused to release the state funds required by the measure.

House Bill 450 specified that the University of Hawaii would overseen the study.

Dr. Ruth Gates, director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, mentioned in testimony that Waikiki and Hanauma Bay, areas with high tourist traffic, could have served as venues for the study.

According to a study published by Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, a scientific journal, oxybenzone was found to have a role in coral bleaching.

Oxybenzone-free sunscreens, comprised of alternatives such as zinc oxide or titanium oxide, have not proven as toxic to reef health, according to the National Park Service.