Researchers stunned after discovery of ‘chlamydia-like bacteria’ in Great Barrier Reef – so is it safe for swimmers?
- A close relative of chlamydia was found in the reef
- It’s the first time researchers have found it in coral
- The chance of people getting infected is very small
Researchers investigating the Great Barrier Reef have discovered that the coral in the wonder of the world is infected with a bacteria closely related to chlamydia.
A team led by the University of Melbourne found two types of bacterial clusters in coral tissue, including a relative of a chlamydia-causing bacterium (Chlamydiales) and Endozoicomonas.
This is the first time the pathogens responsible for chlamydia infections in mammals have been detected in corals, according to lead researcher Dr Justin Maire.
While it is not yet known whether the bacteria is beneficial or harmful to the coral, it is unlikely that humans will suffer from swimming in the reef.
‘It’s a giant leap from the marine environment to the human environment. I’d say you can sleep peacefully,’ Dr Maire told Yahoo News.
A team of researchers found bacterial clusters in coral tissue associated with chlamydia-causing bacteria (Chlamydiales).
While it is not yet known whether their presence is beneficial or harmful to coral, it is ultimately unlikely that humans will experience any impact while swimming.
While researchers don’t believe a wave of chlamydia will sweep the Gold Coast, there is reason to believe the bacteria could help the corals.
“There is a possibility that this bacteria is getting nutrients and energy from other coral-associated bacteria, and for those of us trying to understand coral biology, the possibility that the bacteria that live in coral tissue are interacting with each other is quite exciting,” says dr. more told New Atlas.
“One of the areas of focus in my lab is the development of bacterial probiotics for corals, which help improve their resistance to thermal stress and survival rates due to global warming,” added study co-author Madeleine van Oppen.
“We still know very little about the functions of coral-associated bacteria, and this new study will help us figure out whether probiotics are a viable solution and whether bacteria such as Endozoicomonas are best placed to do the job.”
Marine heat waves caused by global warming have led to coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World.
Corals turn white in heated water due to a chemical reaction that causes their natural color to disappear, which has been observed on reefs around the world.
The process of bleaching is incredibly damaging to the ecosystems that depend on the reef, taking decades to reverse the damaging effect.
‘It’s a giant leap from the marine environment to the human environment. I would say you can sleep peacefully,” Dr. Maire to Yahoo News about the chlamydia-causing bacteria (pictured)
The new research from the University of Melbourne, in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Marine Science (Townsville) and the University of Vienna, was published earlier this week in Sciences Advances.
Researchers say the next step will be to specify what role the bacteria plays in the coral and then report the potential benefits.
One benefit researchers are hoping for is that the bacterial strains help coral synthesize vitamin B, which could mitigate the effects of bleaching.