Absolutely, but only if we can map every coral’s light need, every plankton’s nutrient cycle, and even the tiny water currents that keep the sand moving. If we miss one detail, the whole simulation starts to feel like a sandbox, not a reef. I’m all in for blending the real dynamics with synthetic controls—just not if it turns into a perfect, unchanging utopia. We need that bit of wild unpredictability to keep the ecosystem honest.