Phytoplankton biomass and production in two Tuamotu atoll lagoons (French Polynesia)

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 145:133-142 (1996) - doi:10.3354/meps145133 Phytoplankton biomass and production in two Tuamotu atoll lagoons (French Polynesia) Charpy L Nutrient concentrations, phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a, chl a) and primary production (14C uptake) were measured over a 5 yr period (1990 to 1994) in the atoll lagoons of Takapoto (4 yr water residence time; with pearl oyster aquaculture) and Tikehau (0.5 yr residence time; without pearl oyster but with a fishery), French Polynesia. In both atolls, phosphate and silicate concentrations (0.1 µM PO4 and 0.8 µM SiO2) were lower inside the lagoon than in surrounding oceanic surface waters. Picoplankton <1 µm dominated phytoplankton biomass (61%) and productivity (55%) in both lagoons. Average assimilation numbers were high (13 mg C mg-1 chl a h-1) and average chl a doubling rates of the <1 µm fraction were estimated to be 1.1 and 1.3 d-1 in Takapoto and Tikehau, respectively. Average daily primary production during the 1991 to 1994 period in Takapoto and Tikehau lagoons was estimated to be 0.8 and 0.7 g C m-2 d-1, respectively. Nutrients · Phytoplankton · Production · Pearl oyster · Atoll lagoon · French Polynesia Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 145. Publication date: December 31, 1996 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1996 Inter-Research.