Posidonia Meadow

Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Mediterranean include clones that span up to 15 kilometers. One clone near Ibiza has been estimated at over 100,000 years old - potentially the oldest living organism on Earth. Like aspen, the seagrass spreads via underground rhizomes, creating vast genetically-identical meadows that appear as separate plants.

The marine environment creates different constraints than terrestrial clonal growth. Seagrass must anchor against currents and waves while accessing light through water column. The rhizome network provides structural stability while the leaf canopy captures light. The distributed system serves both reproductive and mechanical functions.

Posidonia meadows are critical marine ecosystem engineers. They oxygenate water, stabilize sediments, provide nursery habitat for fish, and sequester carbon at rates exceeding terrestrial forests per unit area. A single clone creates an entire ecosystem extending far beyond its own tissue.

The business insight is that platform organisms create value far beyond their own boundaries. Posidonia doesn't just grow - it creates habitat that supports hundreds of dependent species. Companies that function as platforms - enabling others' activities rather than just their own - generate ecosystem value that wouldn't exist without them. The platform's value includes everything built on it.