The control group corals did not only maintain but also increased their mass throughout the month by 2.29g, which represents natural behavior of the corals–growth.

The Asé Sunscreen group, on the other hand, also had a significant outcome whereby it weighed 14.50 g initially and 15.43 g at the end of the study. Even though the growth was less significant than that of the control group, the general movement was upwards, implying that Asé Sunscreen did not obstruct coral health. The most important point to note here is that the similarity in mass of control and Asé groups means that reef-safe formulations can keep corals alive without causing bleaching or a decline in biomass. Neutrogena's exposure caused growth less than both ASE and control groups, supporting the hypothesis that conventional SPF formulas negatively affect coral growth (p = 0.0057).

Corals exposed to Neutrogena started with the highest baseline mass, but decreased by 0.55g. This not only indicates stagnation but also regression because the group ended up at a  mass that was lower than that of the initial condition. This mass loss is in line with previous studies that have tied the use of conventional sunscreen containing oxybenzone and coral bleaching along with other negative effects on corals like DNA damage and inhibited growth (Downs et al. 265).

While Asé was comparable to the control group and exhibited a positive growth pattern, Neutrogena caused a decline and hindered growth. The comparison illustrates the risk-free alternative of reef-safe formulation as they are less stressful for the corals.

However, these results should be taken with the limitations of the study into consideration. The timeframe for data collection was brief (1 month), and only four coral fragments were used in each experimental group. Using a single species, Acropora, narrows down the applicability of the results since coral taxa might react differently to the exposure of sunscreens. Furthermore, measuring mass, which is a constant for bleaching that is effective and quantifiable, does not show all the various aspects of coral physiology. 

The findings are a part of the total evidence that is increasing, which indicates that traditional sunscreens with chemical UV filters can damage corals, but reef-safe sunscreens have a significantly safer formulation. Oxybenzone contributes to coral bleaching by triggering the lytic viral cycle in zooxanthellae, causing these symbiotic algae to die. Even at very low concentrations, this process rapidly damages the algae’s membranes and pigments, leading to complete coral bleaching. Our team conducted research to measure the scientific effect of oxybenzone on corals. Nevertheless, this research can be improved by increasing the data collection period, introducing various coral species, and changing environmental conditions like varied temperature and UV light conditions. 

Conclusion

The research has shown that the human use of reef-safe sunscreens like Asé Sunscreen to coral reefs most likely does not affect coral growth negatively. However, the use of conventional Neutrogena Ultra Dry Touch sunscreen may restrict the natural growth of corals and even cause their mass loss.After one month of data collection, Asé Sunscreen did not negatively affect growth by causing bleaching, whereas the corals under Neutrogena's influence decreased its weight.

These results prompt the idea that the consumer shift to reef-safe sunscreens is a reasonable and efficient way of mitigating chemical stressors on coral reefs. The present researcher group intends to continue the studies through further research, including testing more coral species, setting longer time frames, and using more physiological measures like coral colour. Continued research will lead to stronger scientific evidence for reef-safe products and their contribution to reef conservation.

Acknowledgments:

I express our profound appreciation to Ariadne Duan, Aina Hirata, Ai Huruma, Riley Figgins, Rene Neal-De-Saton, Noah Montgomery, Mike Morales, and EF Academy for their contributions, insightful discussions, and support that significantly enhanced the quality of this research.