Secondary Production of the Estuarine, Meiobenthic Copepod Microarthridion littorale

Abstract

Secondary production of Microarthridion littorale, an estuarine meiobenthic copepod, was determined in a South Carolina (USA) salt marsh by the use of size-frequency distributions and age specific growth rates. For all individuals production was highest in 1976 during late summer, with a daily production rate of 1.2pg 10crn-~ d- In -1979, production , production for adults was much lower, less than half of the 1976 adult values. An annual production of 0.14g m -' dry weight is estimated, yielding a production/biomass ratio of 18.0 yr-' in 1976.