Author/Authors :
Nakajima, R. Soka University - Faculty of Engineering - Department of Environmental Engineering for Symbiosis, Japan , Toda, T. Soka University - Faculty of Engineering - Department of Environmental Engineering for Symbiosis, Japan , Yoshida, T. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia - Faculty of Science and Technology - Marine Ecosystem Research Centre, Malaysia , Othman, B.H.R. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia - Faculty of Science and Technology - Marine Ecosystem Research Centre, Malaysia , Shibata, A. Marino-Forum 21 - Department of Research Development, Japan
Abstract :
The quality and quantity of particulate organic carbon (POC) were investigated in a fringing coral reef of Tioman Island, Malaysia to better understand the food sources for reef meso-zooplankton. Phytoplankton biomass in the water column was on average 0.22 (± 0.07) mg Chl-a m-3, of which picophytoplankton was the most important (size 3 μm, 50-70% of the total Chl-a). The proportion of C biomass by phytoplankton and other plankton to particulate organic carbon (POC) was low (6% and 5%, respectively) and the major portion of POC was occupied by detritus (89%), suggesting that the diet of particle-feeding or suspension feeding meso-zooplankton would chiefly consist of detritus
Keywords :
Detritus , food , phytoplankton , POC , zooplankton
