The Role of Benthic Algae in the Shallow Reef of Curaco (Netherlands Antilles) II: Primary Productivity of the Sargassum Beds on the North-east Coast Submarine Plateau
Wanders JW. 1976. The Role of Benthic Algae in the Shallow Reef of Curaco (Netherlands Antilles) II: Primary Productivity of the Sargassum Beds on the North-east Coast Submarine Plateau. Aquatic Botany. 2:327 - 335
The standing crop of the Sargassum bed along the north-east coast of Curacao was estimated to be 440 g dry weight/m2. About 50% of the total dry weight consisted of Sargassum platycarpum Mont. Together with Dictyopteris justii Lamour. and Dictyota dentata Lamour., this species provided for more than 90% of the standing crop of the community. Oxygen production and consumption of the three dominant species were measured using the light-and-dark-bottle technique. Per gram dry weight, the three species have about the same consumption rate (0.93-1.16 mg 0 2/h). Gross productivity of Dictyota dentata (10.88-11.96 mg 0 2/g dry weight/h) was about twice as high as gross productivity of Sargassum platycarpum and Dictyopteris justii ( 4.29-7.27 mg 0 2/g dry weight/h). Yearly gross production of the whole community was estimated to be 3,840 g C/m2 , and net production to be 2,550 g C/m2. These figures compare favourably with those for the shallow coral reef on the submarine plateau along the south-west coast of Curacao.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Wanders, J.B.
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- amount, Fauna, Foliage, Habitat, Marine Ecology