Sunscreen mimics coral reef

It's survived for thousands of years under the harsh Australian sun, but until now reef-coral's ability to thrive has remained a mystery.

Scientists have developed a new and more powerful sunscreen from the Great Barrier Reefs' corals.

Great Barrier Reef coral could play an unlikely roll in protecting Australians against the sun, according to new research.

CSIRO scientists have created a molecule that duplicates the natural sun screening ability of coral.

The molecule protects against the many harmful effects of the sun.

CSIRO Research Scientist Dr Mark York said the discovery was a breakthrough.

"UVB is responsible for the immediate effects of sun damage which you would see after being out in the sun for too long. UVA is more responsible for the longterm cumulative damage, which can lead to skin cancers. So we can now cover the UVA and UVB regions in a single molecule," he said.

Watch: The full report above.