Yogurt ingredient could save caribbean coral reefs from extinction

By Stephen Beech

An ingredient often added to yogurt could save the Caribbean's at-risk coral , suggests new research.

Probiotics slow the spread of a deadly disease decimating iconic reefs throughout the holiday hotspot, say scientists.

Field tests in the United States identified the best available treatment to combat stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) without having to resort to antibiotics.

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts promoted as having various health benefits.

They're regularly added to yogurt or taken as food supplements, and are often described as "good" or "friendly" bacteria.

Scientists with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History have now discovered that a bacterial probiotic helps slow the spread of SCTLD in already infected wild corals