Probiotics shield Red Sea corals from bleaching in first field trial

Probiotics prevented coral bleaching during a 2022 Red Sea heat wave, marking the first field demonstration of this treatment working in the wild, according to a study published Sept. 3 in Cell Reports. Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology applied beneficial bacteria to Acropora valida corals in an underwater lab off Saudi Arabia. Treated corals maintained their color and photosynthetic efficiency, while untreated controls declined, with genetic sequencing confirming microbiome changes. The study builds on prior tank experiments and faces scalability challenges, including species-specific treatments and labor-intensive application. Scientists caution probiotics are short-term measures that cannot replace addressing climate change, the primary driver of coral reef decline.