Coral reefs in Palau, 팔라우의 산호초들

Funded by the  Global Environment Facility  (GEF) and executed by Palau’s Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism, the 2017-2021 project has the full support of Palauan States and a wide array of national-level partners who will help to implement the project.

      colorful coral in Palau 2007 @Ken Kurtis

  Have you seen the beautiful coral reefs in Palau? Palau, an island nation in the west, become the first country that bans reef-toxic sun creams from 2020 January 1st to protect its ocean.

 

  Sun creams that contain endocrine disrupted ingredients like oxybenzone negatively affect the juvenile development of coral, fish and algae species. As a result, reef-toxic sun creams reduce the population of marine life, including coral reefs.

 

 

  The decision of Palau to protect the ocean environment triggered good social impacts. Hawaii, an island in America, also passed a bill to ban reef-toxic sun cream and will apply the bill from 2021. Many sun cream manufacturers have quickly offered non-reef-toxic products.

 

  Also, Palau has another bill to protect the environment and travelers should sign off on "eco-pledge" before heading to the land of Palau: "I vow to tread lightly, act kindly, and explore mindfully."

 

coral reef 산호초
reef-toxic 산호초에게 독성이 있는
vibrant 활기찬
grant 수여하다
prestigious 일류의, 훌륭한
sign off 승인하다
endocrine disruptor 내분비 교란물질
juvenile 어린, 성장기의
algae 해조류
practice 관습
bill 법안
much-touted 많이 화제에 오른
marine sanctuary 해양보호구역
eco-pledge 환경 서약
tread 발을 디디다
mindfully 마음에 두고, 유의하여