Production characteristics of the population of the red alga Ahnfeltia tobuchiensis in Baklan Bight (Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan)

Spatial distribution and production characteristics of the population of the unattached red alga Ahnfeltia tobuchiensis (Kanno and Matsubara) Mak were studied in Baklan Bight (Sea of Japan) in September 1990 and June 1991. The following environmental factors were determined: the level of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) penetrating the water column; the water temperature; and the content of oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and dissolved organic substance. The main factor limiting the net primary production (NPP) of the A. tobuchiensis population in Baklan Bight appears to be PAR intensity at the surface of the stratum. In June and September, respectively it constituted about 10% and 0.2% of the PAR on the sea surface. By means of regression analysis, the following equations were obtained to describe the relationship between NPP at the surface of the stratum and the environmental factors studied, PAR intensity being the principal variable: NPP = 0.02 + 0.81 PAR (in June) and NPP = 0.02 + 0.23PAR (in September). In June and September, the NPP of the A. tobuchiensis stratum amounted to 17.2 and 1.3 g/(m2 day), and the biomass, to 21 and 31 thousand tons, respectively. During the eight months, its distribution changed considerably. In June and September, the daily biomass growth equaled 140.7 and 8.5 t, respectively. A 10-cm-thick layer displayed the highest production characteristics. © 2000 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".