Carbon Fluxes at the Water-sediment Interface in Reunion Island Fringing Reef - Université de Bretagne Occidentale
Journal Articles Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science Year : 2007

Carbon Fluxes at the Water-sediment Interface in Reunion Island Fringing Reef

Abstract

To assess the contribution of soft-bottoms to the carbon cycle in coral reefs, the net community production (p) was measured in winter at 3 stations on La Saline inner reef flat (Reunion Island). Changes in pH and total alkalinity at different irradiances (I) were assessed using benthic chambers (0.2 m²) during a 1-h incubation. Mean grain size, the silt and clay load and chlorophyll a content of the sediments were analysed in each chamber. Daily community production (P), gross community production (Pg) and community respiration (R) were estimated from p-I curves and daily irradiance variations (PAR, 400-700 nm). Sediment characteristics and chlorophyll a contents did not differ between the three sites, except for the silt and clay fraction at one station. R being higher than Pg (84.88 ± 7.36 and -62.29 ± 3.34 mmolC m-2 d-1 respectively), P value reached 22.59 ± 5.66 mmolC m-2 d-1. The sediments were therefore heterotrophic with a mean Pg/R lower than 1 (0.74 ± 0.05) and appear to be a carbon source. Our data suggested the importance of the degradation process in the functioning of near-reef sediments.
No file

Dates and versions

hal-00670281 , version 1 (15-02-2012)

Identifiers

  • HAL Id : hal-00670281 , version 1

Cite

Dorothée Taddei, G. Bucas, Jacques Clavier, Pascale Cuet, Frouin Patrick. Carbon Fluxes at the Water-sediment Interface in Reunion Island Fringing Reef. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, 2007, 6 (2), pp.137-146. ⟨hal-00670281⟩
156 View
0 Download

Share

More