Community metabolism in temperate maerl beds. I. Carbon and carbonate fluxes

Abstract

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 335:19-29 (2007) - doi:10.3354/meps335019 Community metabolism in temperate maerl beds. I. Carbon and carbonate fluxes Sophie Martin1,2,*, Jacques Clavier1, Laurent Chauvaud1, Gérard Thouzeau1 1LEMAR, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin, UMR CNRS 6539, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Technopôle Brest-Iroise, Place Nicolas Copernic, 29280 Plouzané, France 2Present address: Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche-sur-Mer, CNRS, and Université Pierre et Marie Curie–Paris VI, BP 28, 06234 Villefranche-sur-Mer, Cedex, France *Email: [e-mail] ABSTRACT: Maerl community respiration, photosynthesis and calcification were measured seasonally in the Bay of Brest (France). The dynamics of oxygen, carbon and carbonate fluxes at the water–sediment interface were assessed using benthic chambers. Community respiration (CR) fluctuated in accordance with the seasonal changes in water temperature, from 1.5 mmol C m–2 h–1 in winter to 8.7 mmol C m–2 h–1 in summer. Mean gross community production (GCP) varied significantly among seasons, according to incident irradiance and temperature, from 3.4 mmol C m–2 h–1 in winter to 12.7 mmol C m–2 h–1 in summer. Mean annual Pmax for the P-E curve was estimated to 13.3 mmol C m–2 h–1. Carbonate precipitation only occurred during light incubations and varied seasonally from 0.7 mmol CaCO3 m–2 h–1 in winter to 4.2 mmol CaCO3 m–2 h–1 in summer. Mean annual Pmax was 3.2 mmol CaCO3 m–2 h–1. Annual CR was estimated to 407.4 g C m–2 yr–1, and GCP, to 240.9 g C m–2 yr–1. Maerl communities are, therefore, heterotrophic systems (GCP:CR = 0.6), and are a source of CO2 for surrounding environments. In addition, CO2 released by calcification averaged 39.2 g C m–2 yr–1. Maerl community annual carbonate production was estimated to 486.7 g CaCO3 m–2 yr–1; they are therefore one of the most important carbonate producers in shallow coastal waters. KEY WORDS: Calcareous algae · Community metabolism · P-E curves · Primary production · Respiration · Calcification Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 335. Online publication date: April 16, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.