Bottom Plant Associations
153
Table 4.16. The percentage of projective cover of bottom surface in different reef zones
at cross section via the barrier reef Belize by different groups of benthic plants. (After
Riitzler and Macintyre 1982)
Groups of plants
Lagoon
Patch reefs
Reef crest
Outer reef slope
Seagrasses
22.2
0.5
0
0
Thallomic macrophytes
13.6
8.2
3.7
3.8
Thallomic calcareous algae
0.6
6.8
2.6
1.7
Corallines
0
5.2
35.6
2.1
Table 4.17. Biomass of algae and seagrasses in reef bottom biotopes. (Data by
Vinogradova and Kalugina-Gutnik 1985; Bakus 1967; Zieman et al. 1979; Wanders
1976b; Odum and Odum 1955; Wahbeh 1981; Burkholder et al. 1967; Williams 1981)
Location
Socotra I.
Praslin I., Seychelles
Koetivi I., Seychelles
Kargados-Karahos I., Mauritius
Ben Goy Bay, Vietnam
Thu I., Vietnam
Thu I., Vietnam
Namsu I., Gulf of Siam
Caribbean reefs
Caribbean reefs
Curacao, Antilles
Enivetak atoll
Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea
Puerto Rico
Florida
Key species
Sargassum, Padina
Sargassum, Turbinaria, Padina
Thalassiodendron, Syringodium
Halimeda, Thalassiodendron
Galaxaura, Padina
Sargassum
Turfs of mini-thallomic macrophytes
Turbinaria, Ralphasia
Blue-green algae
Thalassia
Sargassum, Dictyosphaeria
Caulerpa, Dictiosphaeria, Dictyota
Seagrasses
Seagrasses
Seagrasses
Biomass, kgm- 2
(wet weight)
0.4-1.6
5.4-9.0
1.0-16.0
3.0-21.0
1.2
2.5
0.8
0.2-4.5
0.5
0.4
1.8
4.0-7.0
0.7-1.5
12.0-20.0
1.6-7.6
P/Pm~ ____________________ ,
l,tJ
2 'I fj 8 10 12 7'1 To l
Fig. 4.7. Light dependence curves in thalli of macrophyte Sargassum ilicifolium, taken
from different parts of the plant: 1 from upper part; 2 from middle part; 3 from basal,
shadowed part; PIP m gross photosynthesis - relative values; L light intensity, wt m- 2 .
(Data by Titlyanov et al. 1985)