A forest fire both destroys and creates. It destroys the plants and animals that live there. But it creates the conditions for a new ecosystem to develop through a process called ecological succession.
Scientists recently reported that a similar process plays out in one of the deepest spots in the oceans. Big blobs of sediments settle on the bottom. That can destroy the organisms that inhabit the region. But the sediments bring nutrients and stir things up in a way that starts a new cycle of life.
Dental offices and beauty salons follow strict hygiene and sanitation guidelines to prevent the spread of germs among people coming in for a teeth cleaning or eyebrow wax. But the same rules don’t apply to the “beauty salons” and mouth cleaning stations under the sea—and that may be a good thing.
