27 



Rasmuss, 1973), Estimates of drift algae production are infrequent. 

 Thorne-Miller et al (1983) found summer biomass of unattached benthic 

 algae in Rhode Island Coastal lagoons to be 14 - 125 g dry m^ but did 

 not estimate annual production. Sand-Jensen and Borum (1983) estimated 

 macroalgal production in coastal waters with eelgrass beds 200-500 g C 

 m ^ y . In this paper, 500 g C m y was conservatively estimated 

 for both drift and attached macroalgae, where they are dense. Thus 

 macroalgal production in Buzzards Bay is = 20 x 10^. 



Epiphytic algae 



Numerous species of algae are epiphytic on eelgrass (Harlin, 

 1980) , and production estimates range from 1 to 100% of eelgrass 

 production, although 20 - 40% are most frequently reported (Borum and 

 Wium-Anderson, 1980; Mazella and Alberte, 1986, Penhale, 1977; Sand- 

 Jensen and Borum, 1983) . In Buzzards Bay, dense accumulations of 

 epiphytic algae are usually found in poorly flushed areas, especially 

 near sources of nutrient inputs. Offshore eelgrass beds typically have 

 much lower accumulations of algal epiphytes, and because these beds make 

 up approximately 70% of eelgrass cover in Buzzards Bay, total overall 

 epiphytic algal production was conservatively estimated to be 20% of 

 eelgrass production. 



Periphyton 



Periphyton production on the surface of sediments and solid 

 surfaces range from 4 to 200 g C m~^ y"-*- and are most abundant on muddy 

 sediments in shallow waters without macrophytes, and are less productive 



