Modes of Metabolic Performance of Pacific Reefs

Abstract

AbstractIt has been hypothesized that coral reef primary production rates are characterized by a series of absolute modes associated with dominant benthic cover classes (coral, algae, and sand). However, this hypothesis has yet to be fully tested. Similarly, there has been no investigation into the influence of differential light levels on modal productivity. Findings from this study support the hypothesis of modal metabolic performance, with coral, algal, and sand communities showing differences in gross ecosystem production (GEP). This lends support to census‐based estimates of regional to global GEP. At the same time, the data reveal large differences in the responses of different communities to light. Any given day may have vastly different GEP rates depending on cloudiness, hence it is critical to minimize this variation using approaches that account for the effects of light. Importantly, future comparative studies should incorporate a number of days at each site to provide a representative metabolic rate.