Primary productivity of some fringing reefs of south-east India

Abstract

Primary productivity of two fringing reefs in south-east India was studied from the diurnal curve method. The rate of production in the waters around the reef was determined by 14C uptake and chlorophyll a estimation. The rates of production and consumption in individual sea-grasses were determined by the light and dark bottle oxygen method. Gross production of the Palk Bay reef ranged from 4.86 gC/m2/day in March to 9.5 gC/m2/day in May. In the Kurusadai island reef the rate of gross production was 2,39 gC/m2/day in November. Phytoplankton production in the Palk Bay reef area ranged from 0.51 gC/m2/day to 1.62 gC/m2/day and chlorophyll a values from 0.177 mu g/l to 0.695 mu g/l. In the Kurusadai reef the phytoplankton production was 0.17 gC/m2/day and the chlorophyll a was 0.163 mu g/1. Oxygen production and consumption in individual corals and sea grasses indicate that the individual species is autotrophic with P/R ratios exceeding 1