Productivity of a coral reef using boundary layer and enclosure methods

Geophysical Research Letters
By: , and 

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Abstract

The metabolism of Cayo Enrique Reef, Puerto Rico, was studied using in situ methods during March 2009. Benthic O2 fluxes were used to calculate net community production using both the boundary layer gradient and enclosure techniques. The boundary layer O2 gradient and the drag coefficients were used to calculate productivity ranging from −12.3 to 13.7 mmol O2 m−2 h−1. Productivity measurements from the enclosure method ranged from −11.0 to 12.9 mmol O2 m−2 h−1. During the study, the mean hourly difference between the methods was 0.65 mmol O2 m−2 h−1 (r2 = 0.92), resulting in well‐reconciled estimates of net community production between the boundary layer (−33.1 mmol m−2 d−1) and enclosure (−46.3 mmol m−2 d−1) techniques. The results of these independent approaches corroborate quantified rates of metabolism at Cayo Enrique Reef. Close agreement between methods demonstrates that boundary layer measurements can provide near real‐time assessments of coral reef health.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Productivity of a coral reef using boundary layer and enclosure methods
Series title Geophysical Research Letters
DOI 10.1029/2010GL046179
Volume 38
Issue 3
Year Published 2011
Language English
Publisher American Geophysical Union
Contributing office(s) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Description L03611, 5 p.
Country United States
State Puerto Rico
Other Geospatial Cayo Enrique Reef, Puerto Rico
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