Biomass and Productivity of Microphytobenthos in Temperate Coastal Areas

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  • YAMAGUCHI Hitomi
    Laboratory of Biological and Chemical Oceanography, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University

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  • 温帯沿岸域における底生微細藻類の生物量と生産量
  • オンタイ エンガンイキ ニ オケル テイセイ ビサイ ソウルイ ノ セイブツリョウ ト セイサンリョウ

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Abstract

I review the distribution of microphytobenthic biomass and production in the intertidal, shallow subtidal (<5 m), and offshore (5-30 m) zones of temperate coastal regions by compiling previous studies, with special emphasis on the light regime as a driving force behind the observed patterns. In the intertidal zone, which is periodically exposed to direct sunlight, the mean biomass and production of microphytobenthos reach 84±61 mg Chl-a m−2 and 121±100 g C m−2 yr−1, respectively. The biomass and production of intertidal microphytobenthos generally exceed those of phytoplankton in the overlying water column on an areal basis. Although subtidal microphytobenthos communities are never exposed to direct sunlight, both the microphytobenthic biomass and production of the shallow subtidal zone, mainly in microtidal areas, are similar to those of the intertidal zone. In contrast to intertidal habitats, however, the benthic microalgal productivity in the shallow subtidal zone is often less than that of the overlying phytoplankton. The dynamics of offshore microphytobenthos are probably affected by phytoplankton in the overlying water column due to a shading effect. The magnitude of both the biomass and the production of microphytobenthos in the offshore zone is relatively low, but microphytobenthic production can be nearly equivalent to the phytoplanktonic production in certain locations where the waters are characterized by low densities of phytoplankton and consequently by high transparency. Changes in the distribution of microphytobenthic biomass and production, and in the relative importance of the microphytobenthos and phytoplankton, are likely to affect the availability of food for the macrobenthos, with implications for the entire benthic food web. To achieve a better understanding of the benthic ecosystem in coastal regions, it is therefore necessary to conduct further quantitative studies of the microphytobenthos, including the development of suitable methodology.

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