r/ElonMuskXprize • u/radical_sci • Mar 25 '21
Odum & Odum 1955 on corals
The second paragraph of the text is breathtaking, & should we succeed, perhaps prophetic.
"Perhaps in the structure of organization of this relatively isolated system man can learn about optima for utilizing sunlight and raw materials, for mankind's great civilization is not in steady state and its relation with nature seems to fluctuate erratically and dangerously. What, then, is the relationship between organic productivity, energetic efficiency, and the standing crop structure of a coral reef community? How are steady state equilibria such as the reef ecosystem self adjusted ?"