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7879570 
Journal Article 
Maerl growth, carbonate production rates and accumulation rates in the northeast Atlantic 
Bosence, D; Wilson, J 
2003 
Yes 
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
ISSN: 1052-7613
EISSN: 1099-0755 
13 
S21-S31 
WOS:000181453100003 
1. Accumulations of maerl occur widely in ocean facing coastal waters (< 20-30 in depth) of the northeast Atlantic, that are sheltered from the direct SW approach of storm waves and have little terrigenous sediment supply. 2. The different methods that have been used to assess the rate of formation of cool temperate, coralline algal gravels (maerl) are outlined. 3. Formation rates of maerl may be expressed as short-term, branch growth rates (mm yr(-1)), as calcium carbonate production rates (g CaCO3 m(-2) yr(-1)), or as longer-term accumulation rates (m kyr(-1) = m 1000 yr(-1)). 4. Branch growth rates of the free living, branching coralline algae that form maerl in northwest Spain and western Ireland vary from 0.1 to 1.0 mm yr(-1). Rates from Norway are either 0.05-0.15 or up to 1.0 mm yr(-1). 5. Production rates vary from 30-250 g CaCO m(-2) yr(-1) in western Ireland, 876 g CaCO3 m(-2) yr(-1) in northwest France and 895-1423 g CaCO3 m(-2) yr(-1) in Norway. 6. Accumulation rates vary from 0.08 m ky(-1) in Orkney to 0 5 m ky(-1) in Cornwall, to 0.8-1.4 m kyr(-1) in Norway. 7. These production and accumulation rates are similar to the lower end of such rates from tropical coral reef environments. This is achieved by high standing crops that compensate for the lower growth rates of the temperate algae. Although rapid on a geological time-scale these accumulation rates are far too low for the maerl to be regarded as a sustainable resource for extraction for agricultural and industrial use. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. 
temperate coralline algal gravel; maerl; growth; production and accumulation rates