Standing stock variations, growth and CaCO3 production by the calcareous green alga Halimeda opuntia

Abstract

The present paper investigates standing stock variations of Halimeda opuntia on a sandstone reef of the South-west Atlantic Ocean, in order to better understand the role of this seaweed as a CaCO3 producer. The study was conducted over two 3-month periods, using photo quadrats to analyse the coverage area, and destructive sampling to quantify area-specific biomass and CaCO3 percentage. The alga occupied 2.4% of the substrate (4464 m2), growing as clumps with an average biomass of 1.59 kg m−2, resulting in a standing stock of 7097.8 kg of alga. This standing stock varied with environmental conditions, particularly wind speed. Assuming an exponential model for these variations, H. opuntia produced at least 13,050.14 kg (54.37 g m−2 day−1) of carbonate sediments. There was a positive correlation between changes in standing stock and coverage, but not with area-specific biomass. This suggests that net algal growth results in the occupation of new spaces, with minimal increases in height or segment density. Therefore monitoring coverage should complement traditional individual-based methods for estimating Halimeda growth and production. Combined, these approaches should result in more accurate models of the role of this alga on marine carbonate budgets.