Coral-Zooxanthellae System

Coral reefs are built on mutualism. The coral animal provides shelter and CO2; symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) living in coral tissues provide up to 90% of the coral's energy through photosynthesis. This partnership creates the metabolic surplus that lets corals build massive calcium carbonate structures - reef infrastructure that supports 25% of marine species despite occupying less than 1% of ocean floor.

The partnership is exquisitely sensitive. When water temperatures rise just 1-2°C above normal, corals expel their zooxanthellae - coral bleaching. This isn't the coral choosing to end the partnership; it's a stress response that becomes lethal. Without zooxanthellae, corals can survive weeks to months on stored energy and prey capture, but they eventually starve. The mutualism isn't optional; it's structural.

Different zooxanthellae strains have different heat tolerances. Some corals can shuffle their symbiont populations toward heat-tolerant strains - a form of rapid adaptation. But this flexibility has limits. Corals can't instantaneously swap partners, and heat-tolerant strains may provide less energy. The partnership can adjust, but not infinitely.

The business parallel is infrastructure partnerships that create platforms for entire industries. Just as coral reefs provide structure that marine ecosystems depend on, some business partnerships create infrastructure others build upon. AWS, app stores, payment networks - these partnerships create surplus that enables entire ecosystems of dependent businesses. Breaking these partnerships doesn't just hurt the partners; it collapses what was built on them.