Need a good Sunscreen? Wrap yourself in a coral reef!

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"Coral Reefs Act Like Sunscreen

Protector. A coral skeleton irradiated with ultraviolet radiation, fluorescing yellow.

Credit: R. Reef et al., PLoS ONE 4 (11) (November 2009)

"By Charles Choi
ScienceNOW Daily News
30 November 2009
"Living on a coral reef is a bit like living in a tanning bed. As the sun's rays shine through the water and reflect off the reef, they strike corals, their symbiotic photosynthetic algae, and other inhabitants from above and below. So what keeps these creatures from being fried? A new study suggests that coral acts as a sunscreen, absorbing UV light and limiting the harm it inflicts on the reef's denizens."

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