Nature's sunscreen from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

All shallow-water marine organisms have natural features and behaviours that can reduce exposure to UV radiation and limit the amount of photodamage to functional biomolecules and organelles. Protection from UV radiation often includes the production of UV-absorbing compounds which, in marine organisms, are usually mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) having a range of absorption maxima between 310 and 360 nm. Shallow-water corals produce large quantities of MAAs and their apparent ability to withstand long-term environmental UV exposure suggests utilization of their UV-absorbing chromophore for sunscreen applications. We present an overview of the biochemical photophysiology of tropical reef-building corals, and of the development of a new class of synthetic sunscreen, 1-alkyl-3-alkanoyl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridines, based on their natural UV protection. Several sunscreen candidates have been examined for sunscreen suitability and a limited selection is being tested for potential use in human skin-care and cosmetic products.