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THE PRODUCTIVITY OF HAWAIIAN FRINGING‐REEF CRUSTOSE CORALLINACEAE AND AN EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF PRODUCTION METHODOLOGY 1
Author(s) -
Littler Mark M.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1973.18.6.0946
Subject(s) - crustose , coralline algae , reef , productivity , algae , thallus , fringing reef , oceanography , environmental science , biology , ecology , botany , geology , economics , macroeconomics
Estimates of the mean net total contribution to the Waikiki reef by Porolithon onkodes, P. gardineri, and Sporolithon erythraeum are quite close. Hydrolithon reinboldii and melobesioid “C” contribute 5 and 3 times more. The net contribution to the total reef system by fringing‐reef crustose Corallinaceae is 5.7 g C m −2 day −1 . Crustose coralline algae are comparable, as producers, to other photosynthetic reef organisms. Several measurements of productivity were used in replicate on the same thalli. The 14 C data, although somewhat higher, were not significantly different from the O 2 and pH electrode data; rates determined by all three techniques showed the same serial order, by species, from highest to lowest producer. The pH and O 2 electrode methods are more useful and reliable than the 14 C data where high sensitivity is not critical.