Taipei, Aug. 3 (CNA) An Academia Sinica research team has identified how a strain of symbiotic bacteria helps corals survive rising ocean temperatures, a finding that could help scientists protect and restore coral reefs threatened by climate change-induced bleaching. The study, led by Academia Sinica Distinguished Research Fellow Tang Sen-lin (湯森林), was published in The ISME Journal in July, Academia Sinica, Taiwan's leading research institution, said in a statement Monday. The research began nearly a decade ago after Tang's research team and National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology professor Chen Wen-ming (陳文明) successfully isolated the bacterium from coral, Tang said. After developing improved methods for preparing high-quality samples, the team identified 31 coral cell types for analysis, Academia Sinica said. The team also produced a chromosome-level reference genome for a Taiwanese population of cauliflower coral, which Academia Sinica said will support future research into coral adaptation, coral-microbe interactions and the effects of climate change.