The potential contribution of primary production by red tides to the west Florida shelf ecosystem1

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Abstract
Production rates and the potential annual carbon input for blooms of the red‐tide dinoflagellate, Ptychodiscus brevis, on the west Florida shelf were estimated from field and laboratory measurements, a published value, and Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) imagery. Daily production rates during blooms based on measured and calculated values ranged from 0.8 to 3.8 g C m−2 d−1 and were 2–5 times higher than literature values or rates measured during nonbloom periods. Total production for blooms which ranged in size from 5.2 to 12.4 × 103 km2 was calculated as 2.9–7.1 × 105 t C month−1. Annual production (12 months) during nonbloom periods could have a range of 30–150 g C m−2 which yields an annual range of 6.9–35.2 × 105 t C yr−1 within a shelf area of 2.33 × 104 km2. Blooms dominated by P. brevis can therefore contribute a significant fraction of the annual production of the water column on the central west Florida shelf.

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