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High photosynthetic benthic primary production (P) represents a key ecosystem service provided by tropical coral reef systems. However, benthic P budgets of specific ecosystem compartments such as macrophyte-dominated reef lagoons are still scarce. To address this, we quantified individual and lagoon-wide net (P n ) and gross (P g ) primary production by all dominant functional groups of benthic primary producers in a typical macrophyte-dominated Caribbean reef lagoon near Puerto Morelos (Mexico) via measurement of O 2  fluxes in incubation experiments. The photosynthetically active 3D lagoon surface area was quantified using conversion factors to allow extrapolation to lagoon-wide P budgets. Findings revealed that lagoon 2D benthic cover was primarily composed of sand-associated microphytobenthos (40%), seagrasses (29%) and macroalgae (27%), while seagrasses dominated the lagoon 3D surface area (84%). Individual P g  was highest for macroalgae and scleractinian corals (87 and 86 mmol O 2  m −2  specimen area d −1 , respectively), however seagrasses contributed highest (59%) to the lagoon-wide P g . Macroalgae exhibited highest individual P n  rates, but seagrasses generated the largest fraction (51%) of lagoon-wide P n . Individual R was highest for scleractinian corals and macroalgae, whereas seagrasses again provided the major lagoon-wide share (68%). These findings characterise the investigated lagoon as a net autotrophic coral reef ecosystem compartment revealing similar P compared to other macrophyte-dominated coastal environments such as seagrass meadows and macroalgae beds. Further, high lagoon-wide P (P g : 488 and P n : 181 mmol O 2  m −2  lagoon area d −1 ) and overall P g :R (1.6) indicate substantial benthic excess production within the Puerto Morelos reef lagoon and suggest the export of newly synthesised organic matter to surrounding ecosystems.

Benthic Primary Production Budget of a Caribbean Reef Lagoon (Puerto Morelos, Mexico)