S. Cocito et F. Ferdeghini, Carbonate standing stock and carbonate production of the bryozoan Pentapora fascialis in the north-western Mediterranean, FACIES, 45, 2001, pp. 25-30
Pentaporafascialis, one of the largest living bryozoan, is often a predomin
ant part of the benthos on hard subtidal bottoms in the Mediterranean Sea.
Conversion factors calculated from laboratory measurements of colony size,
biomass and skeleton weight, combined with density of colonies and mean ann
ual growth rate allowed the estimation of carbonate standing stock, biomass
and carbonate production of Pentapora fascialis in five sites in the Ligur
ian Sea. Carbonate standing stock ranged from 281 to 2490 g.m(-2), colony b
iomass varied from 8.82 to 78.01 g.m(-2). with a ratio biomass to carbonate
standing stock of about 3%. Carbonate production of the bryozoan ranged in
the five sites from 358 to 1214 g.m(-2).y(-1). If compared with the few da
ta available on carbonate production of bryozoans and other sublittoral ben
thic bioconstructors in the temperate regions, Pentapora fascialis has to b
e considered one of the major contributors to the carbonatebudget.