Climate

Probiotics prevented coral bleaching during a Red Sea heat wave: Study

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 02/10/2026, 15:09:24 UTC.

Briefings

A 2022 heat wave in the Red Sea caused corals to react differently when treated with probiotics from healthy corals, preventing bleaching. Principal investigator Raquel Peixoto at KAUST reported this in a September 2026 study published in Cell Reports, marking the first evidence of probiotic protection in the wild. The study highlights the potential of beneficial bacteria to aid coral survival against marine heat waves, though it does not confirm long-term wild efficacy beyond the initial heat event.

Key points

• Scientists treated corals in the Red Sea with probiotics isolated from healthy corals during a 2022 heat wave, preventing bleaching in a 15 km reef off Saudi Arabia.
• The study, published in Cell Reports in September 2026, is the first to show probiotics protect corals in the wild from marine heat waves, not just in laboratory settings.

Context and limitations

The study covers only a single 2022 heat wave event in the Red Sea and does not provide data on long-term probiotic efficacy or broader global impacts.

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