Such intermittent events prevent any one species from consolidating its dominance, which in turn permits the coexistence of so many diverse life forms within so dense an area. Coral reefs are some of the oldest ecosystems on the planet, flourishing as early as 200 million years ago. Their inhabitants have evolved over eons to be specifically adapted to the nutrients and physical environment, preventing excessive interspecies competition and encouraging extreme diversity.
最後，珊瑚礁生態系是地球上最悠久的生態系之一，早在 2 億年前就已蓬勃發展，珊瑚礁生物經過長期演化，在空間和食物利用上已經形成高度「特化」的現象，可以減少生物間的競爭，使眾多生物能和平共存。