Queensland scientists hope to be one stop closer to unlocking the key to securing the long-term survival of coral reefs worldwide.
Dr Tracy Ainsworth from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University believes that beneficial microbes, or "good bacteria", interact with coral to keep it healthy and recover from bleaching caused by rising temperatures.
"Corals rely on good bacteria but crucially we don't yet understand these microbes well enough to know how they influence coral survival," she said.
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