Calcimass and carbonate production by molluscs on the tidal flats in the Dutch Wadden Sea: I. The tellinid bivalve Macoma balthica

doi:10.1016/0077-7579(80)90006-X

Netherlands Journal of Sea Research

Volume 14, Issues 3–4, December 1980, Pages 323-338

https://doi.org/10.1016/0077-7579(80)90006-X Get rights and content

Abstract

Production of shell-lime by the Macoma balthica population living on the tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea was assessed from estimates of abundance, age composition and growth rates of the population during 11 years (1969 to 1980) at 15 sampling places on Balgzand, a 50 km² tidal flat area. Moreover, the whole 1300 km² of tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea was surveyed once and partly twice in the period.

Calcimass of the shells of the standing stock of Macoma amounted to an average of 24 g·m⁻² on Balgzand and to 16 g·m⁻² for all tidal flats. Mean annual turnover rate was 0.5 to 0.6 a⁻¹. Mean annual values for elimination and production of Macoma carbonate amounted to about 13 g·m⁻² for Balgzand and about 9 g·m⁻²·a⁻¹ for all tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea.

During the first 6 years of the period of observation, when relatively high proportions of the animals were old, elimination surpassed production and the calcimass gradually declined. During the second half of the period the situation reversed and calcimass returned to nearly its initial level. Over the entire period elimination and production thus nearly balanced, though during separate years these 2 values could differ by a factor of 2. Annual variability arose from significant year-to-year differences in recruitment, death rates, growth rates and age composition of the population.

Total annual carbonate production by Macoma on the 1300 km² of tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea is estimated at about 11 000 tons.

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Seasonal changes in the biomass of the macro-benthos of a tidal flat area in the Dutch Wadden Sea
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J.J. Beukema
Biomass and species richness of the macro-benthic animals living on the tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea
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J.J. Beukema et al.
Seasonal changes in dry weight and chemical composition of the soft parts of the tellinid bivalve Macoma balthica in the Dutch Wadden Sea
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J.J. Beukema et al.
Biomass and species richness of the macrobenthic animals living on the tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea: long-term changes during a period with mild winters
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J.J. Beukema et al.
Variability of growth rate of Macoma balthica (L.) in the Wadden Sea in relation to availability of food
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Distribution, burrowing and growth rates of the clam Tridacna crocea on interior reef flats
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There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

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Estimated annual turnover ratio (P/B = 1.52) was similar to that exhibited by the fast-growing Mytilus galloprovincialis (P/B = 1.5; Ceccherelli and Rossi, 1984), and higher than that measured for the non-indigenous Anadara (Scapharca) inaequivalvis (P/B = 0.46; Mistri et al., 1988), another invader of the Northern Adriatic coasts. The CaCO3 total production by A. senhousia (383.7 g CaCO3 m− 2 yr− 1) was higher than measurements obtained by Beukema (1980, 1982) for Macoma balthica and Cerastoderma edule (13 and 118 g CaCO3 m− 2 yr− 1, respectively) in the Wadden Sea, and by Lejart et al. (2012) for Crassostrea gigas (134 g CaCO3 m− 2 yr− 1) in the Bay of Brest. It was comparable to the estimates by Martin et al. (2006) for the slipper limper Crepidula fornicata (515 g CaCO3 m− 2 yr− 1) in the Bay of Brest.
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Netherlands Journal of Sea Research

Abstract

References (14)

Seasonal changes in the biomass of the macro-benthos of a tidal flat area in the Dutch Wadden Sea

Neth. J. Sea Res.

Biomass and species richness of the macro-benthic animals living on the tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea

Neth. J. Sea Res.

Seasonal changes in dry weight and chemical composition of the soft parts of the tellinid bivalve Macoma balthica in the Dutch Wadden Sea

Neth. J. Sea Res.

Biomass and species richness of the macrobenthic animals living on the tidal flats of the Dutch Wadden Sea: long-term changes during a period with mild winters

Neth. J. Sea Res.

Variability of growth rate of Macoma balthica (L.) in the Wadden Sea in relation to availability of food

Growth and reproduction of a tidal flat population of Macoma balthica (L.)

Neth. J. Sea Res.

Distribution, burrowing and growth rates of the clam Tridacna crocea on interior reef flats

Oecologia

Cited by (43)

Can we estimate molluscan abundance and biomass on the continental shelf?

Shell formation in cultivated bivalves cannot be part of carbon trading systems: A study case with Mytilus galloprovincialis

The invasive bag mussel Arcuatula senhousia is a CO<inf>2</inf> generator in near-shore coastal ecosystems

Clam farming generates CO<inf>2</inf>: A study case in the Marinetta lagoon (Italy)

Fitness and chemical composition of the Baltic clam Macoma balthica (Linnaeus, 1758) from sulphidic habitats in the Gulf of Gdańsk (Southern Baltic)

Energetics of growth and reproduction in a high-tidal population of the clam Ruditapes decussatus from Urdaibai Estuary (Basque Country, N. Spain)