Coralline Algae

Coralline algae don't look like algae - they look like pink rock. These calcifying algae deposit calcium carbonate crusts on reef surfaces, cementing loose coral fragments together and providing hard substrate for coral larvae to settle. Without coralline algae, coral reefs would crumble into rubble. They're the mortar between reef bricks, the cement that converts individual coral colonies into continuous reef structures.

The service is invisible but essential. Coralline algae cover surfaces that casual observers credit to coral. They induce coral larval settlement through chemical cues - baby corals preferentially attach to coralline-covered surfaces. They protect reef structures from erosion during storms. Some coralline species create rhodolith beds - rolling nodules that provide alternative hard substrate habitat. The reef ecosystem's structural integrity depends on this unglamorous cementing work.

The business parallel concerns binding functions that hold organizations together. Middle managers, internal communications, standard operating procedures, and shared services often function as coralline algae - invisible when present, catastrophic when absent. They cement separate business units into coherent structures, induce new employees to settle and integrate, and protect organizational structure during storms. Organizations that eliminate binding functions in pursuit of efficiency often find their coral fragments crumbling into rubble.