When you dive, snorkel, and explore underwater, you're entering some of the most remarkable and sensitive ecosystems on the planet. Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor. However, these reefs serve as critical habitat and food sources for all tropical marine life.
At GEAR AID, we see it as our responsibility to ensure that our anti-fog and wetsuit lubricant products are carefully formulated and tested to prevent harmful impacts to the coral at the foundation of these fragile and interconnected tropical environments. Rather than asking you to trust that our formulations are 'reef safe', we decided to partner with an accredited international lab to conduct live coral exposure testing using peer reviewed and accepted testing methods.
Going Beyond Performance
Our product performance and reliability have always been at the core of everything we make. If you're using our dive products like Sea Drops, Sea Gold, or Neo Slix, you expect clear vision and an easy way to get into tight fitting free dive suits.
But sport performance isn't the only attribute that matters.
Many of our products are used in and around oceans and coastal waterways. GEAR AID chose to conduct independent lab testing to better understand how our formulations perform in marine environments and to help verify they meet our standards for both effectiveness and environmental responsibility.
Rather than relying on our own assumptions or the claims of our raw material vendors, our team looked for an accepted test method to evaluate our products using real science.
That's what led us to partner with ReefTox.
What is ReefTox?
ReefTox is an independent testing laboratory based in France that specializes in coral ecotoxicology. They study how different consumer products directly affect living coral under controlled laboratory conditions.
Their ReefTox 1 test uses live Montipora digitata, a reef-building coral found throughout the Indo-Pacific. During testing, scientists expose the coral sample to a product and closely monitor its health over a 96-hour period.
The test protocols look for specific signs that coral is under stress, including:
- Bleaching
- Tissue Damage
- Changes in behavior
- Mortality
Why We Chose to Partner with ReefTox
There are no shortage of brands making broad environmental claims in the dive and water sports industry. However, claims backed by relevant, repeatable, and accepted scientific modeling can be rarer to find. Most 'reef-friendly' evaluations focus simply on whether certain ingredients are present or absent in a formula. ReefTox takes a different approach by testing the formulated product directly on living lab grown coral samples. The ReefTox coral exposure testing protocol provides a more credible and comprehensive approach that goes beyond ingredient list based marketing claims.
What Were the Results?
The results of our testing were encouraging. When the coral was exposed to GEAR AID's Sea Drops and Sea Gold at a concentration of 1 mg/L and to Neo Slix at a concentration of 50 mg/L, researchers observed healthy coral throughout the testing period. They found:
- No coral mortality
- No tissue loss
- No measurable bleaching
- No abnormal coral behavior
At the conclusion of the study, ReefTox reported no acute exotoxicity under the conditions of the ReefTox 96-hour exposure test. There was no bleaching, and there were no other negative effects on corals exposed to GEAR AID's dive-related formulations. This gives us confidence in their use around reef environments. To read the full ReefTox Test Report, click here.
What Does This Mean For Divers?
For divers and snorkelers, it means the products you rely on for clear vision and comfortable time in the water have been evaluated using a live-coral testing protocol. We're committed to backing up our decisions with proven, independently tested evidence whenever possible.
Continuing to Learn
ReefTox testing is one step in a larger commitment from GEAR AID. As new testing methods become available and our understanding of marine ecosystems continue to evolve, we'll keep looking for opportunities to learn more and continuously improve both our testing procedures and product formulations. At present, we believe ReefTox coral exposure testing offers the most compelling and scientifically rigorous evidence available that GEAR AID's products are both effective for divers and safe for use in coral reef environments.
