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The productivity of San Cristobal Reef, Puerto Rico
Author(s) -
Rogers Caroline S.
Publication year - 1979
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.1979.24.2.0342
Subject(s) - reef , productivity , primary production , oceanography , environmental science , primary productivity , zoology , ecology , geology , biology , ecosystem , economics , macroeconomics
San Cristobal Reef, Puerto Rico, was the site of a community metabolism study based on a new upstream‐downstream method with experimental channels 4 m deep. Net productivity rates varied from 0.03 to 1.85 g O 2 ·m 2 reef area · h −1 ( x̄ = 0.39; n = 59). Respiration measurements of one reef section from which light was excluded ranged from 0.26 to 0.48 g O 2 ·m −2 reef area·h −1 . The linear regression equation y = 0.58 x − 0.18, where y = g O 2 ·m −2 reef area·h −1 and x = mEin·m −2 ·s −1 , describes the correlation between light and metabolism at this site. Net primary productivity was 2.45 g O 2 ·m −2 reef area and gross primary productivity 5.42. The ratio of gross primary productivity to 24‐h respiration was 0.7. Productivity rates of this heterotrophic zone are lower than those reported for shallower reef zones with greater algal cover.