Growth and primary production of Cymodocea nodosa in a coastal lagoon

Abstract

Cymodocea nodosa meadows within the Urbinu lagoon showed unimodal growth during an annual cycle (1998–1999), reaching maximum development in summer, minimal development in winter, and a particularly active phase in spring. The below-ground biomass (446 g dry wt. m −2) was higher than the above-ground biomass (332 g dry wt. m −2). Leaf production was 2058 g dry wt. m −2 per year (844 g C m −2 per year), rhizome production was 412 g dry wt. m −2 per year (144 g C m −2 per year) and the production/biomass ratio (P/B) was 3.2 per year. These meadows have high total biomass (778 g dry wt. m −2) and vegetative production (2470 g dry wt. m −2 per year), with the largest total primary production recorded to date. These parameters are higher than those generally observed for the same seagrass species within other Mediterranean lagoonal and marine environments.