Benthic primary production during emersion: In situ measurements and potential primary production in the Seine Estuary (English Channel, France)

A two year survey of benthic primary production during periods of emersion was performed on two stations of an intertidal mudflat (a muddy-sand station and a muddy station) in the Seine Estuary (English Channel, France). The goals of this study were to investigate the seasonal variations of metabolism, to estimate daily potential primary production variation at the annual scale and to estimate the annual potential primary production of the mudflat. Primary production and respiration were estimated by in situ measurements of carbon dioxide fluxes. Chlorophyll a concentration exhibited a great variability on both locations. Gross community production ranged from ca. 0 to 77 mg C m−2 h−1 at the muddy-sand location and from ca. 0 to 122 mg C m−2 h−1 at the muddy location. Community respiration showed a seasonal trend following temperature variations (up to 28.51 mg C m−2 h−1 in the muddy-sand and up to 23.40 mg C m−2 h−1 in the mud). Daily potential primary production was calculated, according to seasonal variations of photosynthetic parameters calculated using three photosynthesis versus irradiance curves obtained for the muddy location. The annual gross community primary production was 135 g C m−2 yr−1, leading to a low autotrophic annual budget, considering an annual community respiration of 110 g C m−2 yr−1.