Researchers from MIT and WHOI (Woods Whole Oceanographic Institution) as well as marine biologists from Cuba recently identified new microbes around corals. These microbes are discovered living (among) in the biofilms, or a collective of microorganisms that grow on the surface of some coral species. They can potentially protect against nutrient imbalances such as the excess of nitrogen in the ocean due to run-off fertilizers. Low concentrations of nitrogen are vital for corals’ growth, but a surplus can cause algae blooms. These algaes often outcompete the corals for resources, leaving them bleached and stressed. However, these microbes can take and “scrub out” nitrogen from the corals’ environment by absorbing it themselves.
The scientists speculate the origin of these slimy microbes were from the ocean’s dead zones. Dead zones are regions of low oxygen levels where microbial life can thrive. How these nitrogen-absorbent microbes affect corals’ health is unclear, but it’s obvious that coral reefs remain in peril at the hands of climate change. https://news.mit.edu/2021/microbes-coral-reefs-health-0108 https://ryotanakajima.com/coral-reefs/the-role-of-coral-mucus-101 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2453177/
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