The Coral Probiotics Village (CPV) is a one-of-a-kind permanent natural laboratory designed to advance coral reef research. Its main goals are to: (i) conduct long-term ecological surveys to improve knowledge on reef ecology, diversity, and dynamics, and (ii) pilot and evaluate innovative solutions that can accelerate coral holobiont adaptation to environmental stress, thereby enhancing reef resilience. The CPV is an outcome of a project funded by KAUST’s VPR office, through the Red Sea Research Center Competitive Funding (CCF) for coral probiotics (lead by Peixoto (PI) with co-PIs/researchers Berumen, Benzoni, Aranda, Carvalho, Garcias-Bonet and Villela). Since established, numerous other PIs have initiated projects at the CPV, expanding its impact as a global model for coral reef conservation and restoration.

Serving as the first underwater laboratory dedicated to in situ coral microbiome stewardship, the CPV provides a reproducible research platform to test microbial-based therapies, restoration efforts, and ecological interventions under real-world conditions. The initiative integrates environmental data collection, restoration science, disease monitoring, and biotechnology development, creating a holistic framework for addressing coral reef degradation. A detailed overview of the CPV, including its research pillars and potential for global replication, is available in The Coral Probiotics Village: An Underwater Laboratory to Tackle the Coral Reefs Crisis.

The groundbreaking research conducted at the CPV and KAUST has been prominently featured in numerous documentaries, including National Geographic (starting at minute 16:35), Warner-Discovery Channel, and the Coral Reefs of the Chagos Islands: A Wilderness Preserved Documentary (starting at minute 34).