Reef Chronic 1, 3-month chronic on living coral
Long-horizon chronic ecotoxicity testing on 1 to 3 corals: 3 months of exposure plus 1 month of recovery. EC10 and EC50 values across 5 concentrations. The industry's first commercial long-term coral chronic program, the optional 3-month chronic program for formulations seeking defensible, publishable coral ecotox data.
What is Reef Chronic 1?
Reef Chronic 1 is ReefTox's chronic coral ecotoxicity test, 3 months of exposure plus 1 month of recovery on 1 to 3 corals. It produces EC10 and EC50 values across 5 concentrations for the EC determination, plus 1 concentration for the confirmatory phase, on either a complete cosmetic formulation or an SPF ingredient. It is the optional 3-month chronic program and part of the live-coral testing, documented in a defensible coral ecotox report, adding the long-horizon chronic phase on top of acute testing. Every engagement begins with the free predictive pre-evaluation.
Methodology
Protocol
3 months exposure + 1 month recovery
Coral species
1 to 3 corals
Concentrations
5 concentrations (EC determination) + 1 concentration (confirmatory)
Test article
Complete cosmetic formulation OR SPF ingredient
Three months of exposure spans three lunar cycles, the minimum for biologically meaningful chronic results. The recovery window captures whether coral tissue resumes normal function once the exposure ends.
Why chronic matters
Why does chronic testing matter if a formulation passes acute?
Bleaching, growth inhibition, and reproductive disruption at sub-lethal concentrations over weeks are the effects regulators, journalists, and NGOs are starting to ask about. EC10 and EC50 from a 3-month chronic test are endpoints a 96-hour acute test cannot produce. Brands that add Reef Chronic 1 to their acute testing can answer both.
Who Reef Chronic 1 is for
- • UV filter suppliers testing star ingredients at the long horizon.
- • Premium cosmetics brands seeking defensible coral ecotox data with a full acute panel plus the optional 3-month chronic program.
- • Brands building defensible EC10 / EC50 datasets for regulators and peer-reviewed publication.
Part of a full acute + chronic engagement
Reef Chronic 1 is the optional 3-month chronic program, combined with the free pre-evaluation, ReefTox 3, and ReefTox 50 for a full acute + chronic engagement. Formulations that pass leave you with defensible, publishable coral ecotox results.
Frequently asked questions
What is Reef Chronic 1?
Reef Chronic 1 is ReefTox's chronic coral ecotoxicity test, 3 months of exposure plus 1 month of recovery on 1 to 3 corals. It produces EC10 and EC50 values across 5 concentrations for the EC determination, plus 1 concentration for the confirmatory phase. The test article can be a complete cosmetic formulation or an SPF ingredient.
Why does chronic testing matter if a formulation passes acute?
Bleaching, growth inhibition and reproductive disruption at sub-lethal concentrations over weeks are effects a 96-hour acute test cannot resolve. The 3-month chronic phase produces EC10 and EC50 endpoints at the long horizon, the data regulators, journalists and NGOs are starting to ask about.
How does Reef Chronic 1 fit into a full testing engagement?
Reef Chronic 1 is the optional 3-month chronic program, combined with the free pre-evaluation, ReefTox 3 and ReefTox 50 for a full acute + chronic engagement. It adds the long-horizon chronic phase on top of acute testing, producing defensible, publishable EC10 and EC50 data for regulators and peer-reviewed publication.
Chronic depth, regulator-grade.
