The Production of Lime Mud by Algae in South Florida

Abstract

We have made estimates of the annual production of fine aragonite mud ( 14 age determinations of subsurface samples. Considering only production within the areas of maximum mud accumulation , we calculated that since the areas were flooded by rising sea level 4000 to 10,000 years ago, the present rate of production by Penicillus sp. could account for all the fine aragonite mud in the inner Florida Reef Tract and one,third of the same material in northeastern Florida Bay. The production of aragonite mud by Penicillus sp. provides a base line for evaluating the production of other similar algae. In the reef tract and the southeastern and western margins of Florida Bay, two other related green algae together are more abundant than Penicillus sp, in northeastern Florida Bay, one alga is more abundant than Penicillus . Another source of fine lime mud is the biological and mechanical breakdown of resistant skeletons, mollusks, algae, corals, etc. This breakdown gives recognizable skeletal silt (15-62mu ), but appreciable finer particles (