mollusc production rates

Deirdre Hart hartd at ge.adfa.edu.au
Sat May 25 21:34:48 EDT 2002


Dear Coral Listers,

I am trying to estimate the gross carbonate produced on a reef flat in
Torres Strait using a modified census based method (growth x density x
cover) but cannot find any satisfactory estimates of production rates by
living assemblages of molluscs.

I have examined several carbonate budgets and literature on carbonate
production by corals, coralline algae, Halimeda and Foraminifera including
studies by Odum and Odum 1955, Goreau and Goreau  1959, Goreau 1963, Chave
et al. 1972, Adey and Vassar 1975, Buddemeier and Kinzie 1976, Stearn et
al. 1977, Highsmith 1979, Scoffin et al. 1980, Drew 1983, Hubbard and
Scaturo 1985, Kinsey 1985, Hughes and Jackson 1985, Mutler 1988, Payri
1988, Matsuda 1989, Hubbard et al. 1990, Eakin 1992, Langer et al. 1997 and
Vecsei 2001 (complete references not provided to save space but I'm happy
to supply via email).

In many reef budgets the carbonate production by molluscs seems either to
have been regarded as minimal and, thus, omitable, or it has been estimated
from the contribution of their skeletons to sediment deposits.  I have not
been able to find any estimates for the carbonate or shell production rates
of molluscs calculated from observations of living assemblages.  If anybody
could suggest references in which I might find such estimates, or point me
in the right direction, I would be very grateful.

Yours Sincerely,
Deirdre Hart.
d.hart at adfa.edu.au

School of Geography and Oceanography
University of New South Wales
Australian Defence Force Academy
ACT 2600, Australia.
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