For many years, researchers believed that modern reefs functioned very differently from prehistoric reefs when it came to adapting to environmental conditions. Several arguments supported this view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, scientists noted that reefs in the Paleozoic era were formed primarily by sponges rather than corals \u2013 somewhat related, but distinct organisms. Second, it was assumed that Paleozoic reefs lacked the ability to cement themselves together, meaning they could not attach to the substrate to form a rigid reef framework. Finally, ancient reefs were thought to be far less diverse in structure and shape than modern reefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These arguments were valid \u2013 at least from the perspective of species classification. However, they did little to explain how reef-building organisms actually adapted to harsh environmental conditions millions of years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scientists from the Faculty of Geology at the University of Warsaw decided to reverse this perspective. Instead of relying primarily on theoretical models, they began studying coral reefs directly in their natural environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe overwhelming majority of paleontologists studying Paleozoic reefs have never seen a reef in real life. I\u2019ve been diving for over 10 years, and my familiarity with fossil corals allowed me to observe aspects of their anatomy and ecology from a comparative perspective. That gave my research a different starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUntil now, scientists studying Paleozoic reefs have mainly used stromatoporoids\u2014sponges\u2014as tools for reconstructing ancient environments, treating corals as a secondary element. I approached it differently. I didn\u2019t start with the question \u2018What built Devonian reefs?\u2019 but rather \u2018How did corals build Devonian reefs?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile observing the diversity of coral colonies during my dives, I also began asking how environmental conditions influence their shape. I noticed something else as well: although not all types of modern coral colonies appear in the fossil record, every type that existed in the Paleozoic era still exists today,\u201d says Prof. Miko\u0142aj Zapalski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A team of scientists from the Faculty of Geology compared corals from the Devonian period with modern corals, focusing on how they adapt to environments with limited access to light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The results were striking. Although modern and Paleozoic corals belong to different species, their strategies for coping with difficult environmental conditions are remarkably similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Analysis of Devonian coral skeletons revealed that as access to light decreased, the colonies changed shape: they became less branched and more flattened, forming structures that function much like coral \u201csolar panels.\u201d Corals still use this strategy today. The deeper a reef grows \u2013 and the less light it receives \u2013 the flatter and less branched the coral colonies become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The research conducted by scientists from the University of Warsaw is innovative not only because of its different starting point and research questions, but also because of the broader goal it sets. The team plans to conduct a detailed comparative analysis of the adaptive mechanisms of ancient and modern reefs in order to better understand how corals respond to environmental change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This objective is also part of the National Science Centre grant \u201c<\/strong>Functional ecology of Paleozoic coral ecosystems \u2013 recent as a key to the past,\u201d <\/strong>led by Prof. Zapalski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnly after we demonstrate more broadly that fossil corals exhibit the same adaptive mechanisms can we draw stronger analogies with modern corals,\u201d explains Prof. Zapalski. \u201cCurrent research suggests that the major coral extinction in the late Devonian period, about 372 million years ago, was most likely caused by rising temperatures and the breakdown of the symbiosis between corals and algae \u2013 the very same mechanism that threatens modern corals today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rafa-plytkowodna-z-okolic-marsa-alam-egipt-1024x768.jpg.webp\")
Millions of years apart \u2013 similar survival mechanisms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/serwisnaukowy.uw.edu.pl\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/rafy-koralowcowo-gabkowe-z-rejonu-discovery-bay-na-jamajce-z-glebokosci-8-14-m-1024x683.jpg.webp\")
Hope for the future<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n