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The standing stock and CaCO3 contribution of Halimeda macroloba in the tropical seagrass-dominated ecosystem in Dongsha Island, the main island of Dongsha Atoll, South China Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 November 2020

Jaruwan Mayakun*
Affiliation:
Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla90112, Thailand
Chen-Pan Liao
Affiliation:
Department of Life Science & Center for Ecology and Environment, Tunghai University, Taichung40704, Taiwan Department of Biology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
Shao-Lun Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Life Science & Center for Ecology and Environment, Tunghai University, Taichung40704, Taiwan
*
Author for correspondence: Jaruwan Mayakun, E-mail: jaruwan.may@psu.ac.th

Abstract

Calcareous green alga in the genus Halimeda are important contributors to the marine carbonate budget. Dongsha Island is located in the northernmost South China Sea and is a seagrass-dominated ecosystem with intermixed Halimeda macroloba patches, making it an excellent system to better examine the extent of carbonate contribution by H. macroloba in such an ecosystem. To this end, we examined the standing stock and actual CaCO3 contribution of H. macroloba in the seagrass-dominated ecosystem (herein Dongsha Island) and compared them with those in Halimeda-dominated ecosystems. The density, growth rate, calcification rate and CaCO3 content of H. macroloba at four life stages were investigated. The mean density of H. macroloba was around 8.82 ± 1.57 thalli m−2 and the estimated standing stock was 61,740 to 72,730 thalli. Thalli produced 1 to 2 new segments day−1, giving a growth rate of 0.003 ± 0.001 g dry weight thallus−1 day−1. Calculated algal biomass and annual areal production were 0.03 g m−2 and 9.66 g m−2 year−1. In each square metre of this area, H. macroloba produced 8.82 to 17.64 new segments day−1, accumulating 0.002 ± 0.001 g CaCO3 thallus−1 day−1 or around 6.44 g CaCO3 m−2 year−1. Mean CaCO3 content was 0.32 ± 0.05 g thallus−1. As expected, the growth rate and CaCO3 production of H. macroloba in Dongsha Island were lower than in other studies from Halimeda tropical ecosystems. Overall, this work provides the baseline of carbonate production of H. macroloba in Dongsha Island and relevant systems where the ecosystem is dominated by seagrasses.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2020

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