Over half of infected Caribbean corals resisted widespread bleaching
In the Caribbean, researchers are exploring the use of predatory bacteria as a means to combat coral diseases. Laboratory tests have demonstrated that these microscopic bacteria can successfully eliminate harmful Vibrio bacteria while preserving the coral's vital microbiome. This promising method provides a focused mechanism to defend corals against disease. However, additional field trials are…
Across the Caribbean, coral reefs are facing a grim reality. Warming oceans, habitat loss, and bacterial diseases threaten their survival. In a study published in The ISME Journal, researchers from Florida have explored an innovative approach to combat these threats. By introducing bacteria that naturally prey on other bacteria, they found that about 57% of endangered Caribbean coral fragments treated with these predators showed no signs of bleaching beyond the initial infection site.
This research, still in its early stages, suggests that beneficial bacteria could offer a targeted method to protect corals from disease.
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