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PRIMARY PRODUCTION, CALCIFICATION, AND AIR‐SEA CO 2 FLUXES OF A MACROALGAL‐DOMINATED CORAL REEF COMMUNITY (MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA) 1
Author(s) -
Gattuso JeanPierre,
Payri Claude E.,
Pichon Michel,
Delesalle Bruno,
Frankignoulle Michel
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-3646.1997.00729.x
Subject(s) - biology , reef , coral reef , algae , benthic zone , fringing reef , oceanography , coralline algae , coral , seagrass , botany , bay , ecology , geology , ecosystem
Community metabolism and air‐sea carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) fluxes were investigated in July 1992 on a fringing reef at Moorea (French Polynesia). The benthic community was dominated by macroalgae (85% substratum cover) and comprised of Phaeophyceae Padina tenuis (Bory), Turbinaria ornata (Turner) J. Agardh, and Hydroclathrus clathratus Bory (Howe); Chlorophyta Halimeda incrassata f. ovata J. Agardh (Howe); and Ventricaria ventricosa J. Agardh (Olsen et West), as well as several Rhodophyta ( Actinotrichia fragilis Forskál (Børgesen) and several species of encrusting coralline algae). Algal biomass was 171 g dry weight· m −2 . Community gross production (P g ), respiration (R), and net calcification (G) were measured in an open‐top enclosure. P g and R were respectively 248 and 240 mmol Co 2 ·m −2 ·d −1 , and there was a slight net dissolution of CaCO 3 (0.8 mmol · m −2 ·d −1 ). This site was a sink for atmospheric CO 2 (10 ± 4 mmol CO 2 ·m −2 ·d −1 ), and the analysis of data from the literature suggests that this is a general feature of algal‐dominated reefs. Measurement of air‐sea CO 2 fluxes in open water close to the enclosure demonstrated that changes in small‐scale hydrodynamics can lead to misleading conclusions. Net CO 2 evasion to the atmosphere was measured on the fringing reef due to changes in the current pattern that drove water from the barrier reef (a C0 2 source) to the study site.