Mote Marine research looks to bacteria to save coral reefs

Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota is at the forefront of research aimed at figuring out what makes some corals better at fending off disease when temperatures rise. The answer appears related to bacteria. Further research could lead to new ways to help reefs survive warming seas and other environmental stressors.

Mote recently received a $180,000 grant from the Michigan-based Dart Foundation to continue two years of research on coral health, extending a project that started eight years ago.

Corals are made up of polyps that excrete calcium carbonate - the hard substance that makes a reef. Tiny algae take up residence in healthy polyps and, in return, provide the polyp food.

Temperature fluctuations, largely due to climate change, are one of the biggest threats to corals. Environmental stress can diminish the algae, leading to coral bleaching, which can eventually cause disease and death. Severe cold snaps, such as the one in 2009, can also wipe out reefs.

Certain bacteria, however, help corals grow and fight disease. When those bacteria die, corals suffer. But some of the beneficial bacteria have the ability to swiftly adapt to the surrounding environment, allowing them to handle rising temperatures.

"It's kind of like a rapid evolution for bacteria," said Kim Ritchie, senior scientist and manager of the marine microbiology program at Mote Marine Laboratory.