A UT researcher disproved Charles Darwin’s Paradox, or the notion that coral reef ecosystems thrive in ocean waters that are poor in nutrients, according to a study published June 5 in Current Biology.

The study, partly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, found that while coral reefs are very productive ecosystems, they do not exclusively exist in nutrient-deprived oceans. 

“Darwin’s paradox, which has been around in coral reef literature for several decades … is actually a double misnomer,” said Simon Brandl, senior author of the study and assistant professor of marine science. “It’s not paradoxical, and it doesn’t have anything to do with Darwin.” 

Aside from existing in nutrient-deprived oceans, Brandl’s study found that coral reefs are more commonly found in nutrient-rich oceans. 

“There are a lot of coral reefs on our planet that are surrounded by a lot of nutrients and food,” Brandl said. “That probably contributes significantly to their incredible productivity.” 

Darwin wrote a lot about coral reefs, but Brandl said Darwin’s original works did not mention the idea of productive coral reefs only existing in nutrient-poor ecosystems. 

“It’s a game of scientific telephone,” Brandl said. “Someone at some point mentioned something about Darwin in the context of reef productivity … and that game of telephone just ended up where Darwin’s Paradox became an established thing.” 

Brandl also warned that this research means some coral reefs might be even more vulnerable to human impacts on the ocean than previously believed. 

For example, ocean temperature changes due to global warming have already had a noticeable impact on coral reefs. Recognizing that coral reefs are also vulnerable to the conditions of their surrounding ecosystems, researchers now understand that other human-induced activities, such as runoff, pose another threat to coral reefs.

“That certainly sets a different stage right there for the survival of coral reefs in our 21st century,” Brandl said.