Growth rates and carbonate production by coralline red algae in upwelling and non-upwelling settings along the Pacific coast of Panama

Distribution, growth rate, and carbonate production of non-geniculate and unattached coralline red algal beds (rhodoliths) were studied in the Gulfs of Panama and Chiriquí along the Pacific coast of Panama. This is the first attempt to quantify coralline carbonate production in this region based on a newly developed algorithm. Although situated at the same latitude, the two gulfs are characterized by distinctly different environmental conditions; Chiriquí is mesotrophic throughout the year, whereas the Gulf of Panama is eutrophic due to intense seasonal upwelling. Coralline algal carbonate production is ∼10× greater in the Gulf of Chiriquí (11.258 × 10