Anthropocene Magazine · Health

Probiotics Show Promise for Coral Heatwave Survival

Scientists have conducted the first real-world trial of probiotics to help coral survive underwater heatwaves, with promising results observed in the Red Sea.

A special probiotic cocktail, and even a mix of dead microbes (postbiotics), helped coral remain healthier during a prolonged heatwave in the Red Sea. This marks the first field study of such microbial therapies on wild coral in the open ocean.

Coral reefs are vital ecosystems threatened by rising ocean temperatures due to global warming, with most expected to perish by the century's end without intervention.

Researchers tested two probiotic and two postbiotic mixtures, alongside a placebo, on Acropora valida coral colonies during a heatwave reaching nearly 32°C (90°F).

While color changes indicating heat stress were similar across groups, coral treated with probiotics or postbiotics showed no decline in their algae's photosynthetic performance over 15 days, unlike the placebo group.

The healthier corals exhibited distinct microbial populations and metabolic activity compared to the sicker ones.

The success of postbiotics was particularly noted, as dead microbes are easier to store and potentially more practical for large-scale application.

This study offers a hopeful new avenue for coral microbial therapies, though it is a single experiment and not a complete solution to the ongoing threat of climate change to coral reefs.

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