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Population Structure and Secondary Production of the Mediterranean Octocoral Lophogorgia ceratophyta (L. 1758)
Author(s) -
Mistri M.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0485.1995.tb00404.x
Subject(s) - gorgonian , biomass (ecology) , mediterranean climate , population , mediterranean sea , predation , biology , dry weight , ecology , environmental science , oceanography , coral , botany , geology , demography , sociology
. The gorgonian Lophogorgia ceratophyta thrives in turbid water at Tinetto Rock, La Spezia Gulf, Ligurian Sea. Its age structure suggests that the population is in a steady state; nevertheless, it is difficult to discern whether the main factors controlling this population are biological or event‐related. Secondary production was estimated by means of an increment‐summation method and yielded 0.54 g ash‐free dry weight (AFDW)*m ‐1 a ‐1 . This estimate does not take into account biomass losses due to reproductive output and non‐lethal predation. Standing stock biomass was 5.44 g AFDW e m ‐2 . The annual P/B ratio was 0.10 and turnover time about 10a