New generation ecotoxicity tests on corals with standardisation purposes

Description

Allow manufacturers to evaluate the toxicity of their formulas or cosmetic ingredients on tropical reef-building corals by using a methodology optimized to be more robust and respectful of the corals used for experiments.

Long description

To make the test more robust, we measure two parameters simultaneously: bleaching and inhibition of coral growth, and we assess short-term and longer-term toxicity. We have carefully selected the most sensitive species to limit the number of corals used for experiments. Before each test, we make sure that the cuttings are acclimatized and healed to avoid any stress for the coral. We developed a methodology with parameters sensitive enough to make the test non-lethal. A procedure has also been established to reuse the cuttings for future tests. Thus, corals are no longer killed after experiments as in conventional ecotoxicity tests. These tests have been optimized for solar formulas. In the absence of a standard test, we want to propose this new methodology as a starting point for the development of a standardised test method dedicated to the assessment of the impact of solar formulas on corals in order to enable brands to make reliable and transparent claims for consumers.