Thursday, March 12

"In mature ecosystems, cooperation seems to be just as important as competition... The classic example is the goby fish that picks parasites from the teeth and gills of the Nassau grouper fish. In return for this cleaning service, the grouper resists eating the tiny goby and actually protects it from other predators. Noisy oxbirds also perform a service, alerting hippos to interlopers in return for being allowed to dine on ticks embedded in the hippo's skin. Lichen provide a more permanent arrangement between two species: Algae and Fungi move in together, one harvesting solar energy, the other providing a safe support What emerges when you combine talents like these is a synergy -- a sustainable system far greater the sum of the parts."

Source: Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired in Nature by Janine Benyus 1997