When we started Stream2Sea, we knew we’d need support from the thousands of adventurers and EcoConscious people who care about our planet. It’s not easy to explain how important it is to use a reef-safe sunscreen. Most people understand though, if you take the time to show them how lethal an incredibly small concentration of the most commonly used sunscreen really is.
We just completed our newest series of posts – Seven Days of Gratitude – in appreciation of the support that we’ve received from advocates around the world over the last three years. Nearly every dive center in Key Largo (our second home) now carries Stream2Sea products and we just returned from a trip to Fiji where we were able to teach divers how – and why – to use reef-safe sunscreen and personal care products.
As we wrap up Thanksgiving and look toward the holidays, we’re reaching out to the people who have chosen to make a difference in their neighborhoods and the world. There’s no doubt that every single person who chooses to use a reef-safe sunscreen does make a difference!
- To all the charter boat owners who have requested that their passengers use reef-safe sunscreens and to the dive center owners around the world who have made them available.
- And to our very own Wave Maker Ambassadors who share their knowledge about reef-safe sunscreens and the importance of healthy coral reefs with their buddies who dive, kayak, paddleboard and surf – plus all the water lovers who just loaf on beaches.
- To Dr. Craig Downs, the forensic ecotoxicologist in Virginia who documented the dangers of oxybenzone and related chemicals at tiny concentrations, and has supported proposed bans of their use in major tourist destinations around the world.
- To organizations like Lonely Whale that are developing innovative campaigns to detail the impact we all have on our oceans — like the #stopsucking campaign.
- To people who help collect debris – underwater and on land before it ends up in our water – and teach other people how something as innocent as an empty plastic bag can be lethal in a marine ecosystem.
- To the brave elected officials in Hawaii and Maui who are leading the charge to ban oxybenzones and other dangerous chemicals that have been proven harmful to their gorgeous coral reefs.
And mostly to YOU, the faithful followers of our journey, who cried with us when we killed a tankful of fish and then shared our delight when vulnerable coral larvae survived in waters laced with Stream2Sea reef-safe products.
Your enthusiasm, suggestions and support are what keeps us going and growing as we continually develop new products and test them for safety in the ecosystems we all love. (And if you haven’t already seen our emails – we’re showing our appreciation with 25% off orders through Dec. 20 so it arrives in plenty of time to get under your tree as you finalize plans for your winter vacation in the sunny south. (Just use the coupon code Thankful!)