King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) researchers are demonstrating the potential of microbial therapy to improve the health of heat-stressed corals in the Red Sea, with implications for coral reef conservation globally. 

A new study published in the journal Cell Reports establishes that both live probiotic and postbiotic treatments improved the health of corals under thermal stress during a natural marine heat wave. 

“We want a future with coral reefs in it,” said co-lead author Erika Santoro, a KAUST postdoctoral fellow. “We urgently need to understand both the natural mechanisms that allow some corals to tolerate heat and how we can safely enhance those mechanisms.” 

Corals host numerous beneficial bacteria, including types that help them adapt to their environment. The aim of microbial therapy is to restore not just the corals themselves but also the microbiomes they sustain. The probiotics used in the study are groups of living microbes obtained from healthy corals that may be applied to stressed corals. 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY