Good bacteria vital to coral reef survival

Starfish surrounded by decomposing coral on the Great Barrier Reef. Image courtesy of XL Catlin Seaview Survey.

Scientists say good bacteria could be the key to keeping coral healthy, able to withstand the impacts of global warming and to secure the long-term survival of reefs worldwide.

“Healthy corals interact with complex communities of beneficial microbes or ‘good bacteria’,” says Tracy Ainsworth from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University who led the study. “It is very likely that these microorganisms play a pivotal role in the capacity of coral to recover from bouts of bleaching caused by rising temperatures.”

“Facilitating coral survival and promoting coral recovery are growing areas of research for coral reef scientists,” says co-author Ruth Gates director of the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB). “To do this we need to explore and understand the bacteria that help keep corals and coral reefs healthy.”

Read more about it in the UH System News.