Imagine that, rather like buying food at the zoo to feed the animals, snorkellers could buy a probiotic to sprinkle on coral reefs during diving trips, doing their part in the global drive to restore damaged marine habitats.
That’s one of the intriguing ideas mooted in a fascinating conversation between Applied Microbiology International President Professor Jack Gilbert and Professor Raquel Peixoto, of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.
Professor Peixoto is carrying out pioneering work focused on how coral microbiomes are key to heat tolerance and how understanding and leveraging these microbiomes is leading to innovative probiotic solutions to boost coral resilience.
In 2023, she was awarded AMI’s inaugural Rachel Carson Prize for microbiology, which goes to a scientist who has used microbiology to help further our understanding of ocean biodiversity or directly in solutions that conserve and sustainably use marine resources for sustainable development.
In-depth discussion
Earlier this year, Professor Peixoto sat down with Professor Gilbert at Scripps Institute of Oceanography for an in-depth discussion of how her work on coral reefs has the potential to change the world - and that conversation is now being published on AMI’s groundbreaking science platform, The Microbiologist.
This will be the first of a series of fascinating science conversations called Under The Lens which will lift the lid on what microbiologists are doing to transform the world.
The two eminent scientists discuss the urgency of coral restoration which has intensified following the fourth coral bleaching event, as well as the microbial solutions developed by Professor Peixoto and her team to restore beneficial bacteria already present in coral ecosystems and showing remarkable success in Red Sea trials.
Marine crisis
With more than 30% of marine life depending on coral reefs, this work addresses a crisis that could cause coastal flooding, economic disruption, and population displacement worldwide.
The pair discussed business models for implementing microbial solutions, including tourist-based approaches and applications in aquaculture, and touched on how Raquel’s team has now launched a start-up to accelerate deployment of these new technologies.
Ahead of COP29, the two scientists led on a strategic publication - released in multiple high-impact scientific journals at once - that saw leading global scientific organisations team up to issue a unified call to action, spotlighting microbial solutions as pivotal in combating climate change.
The first Under the Lens conversation is available to subscribers of The Microbiologist and to AMI members.
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