30 



conservatively estimated to be 20% of eelgrass cover, and therefore 

 contributes 0.5 x 10^ g m~^ y"-'- to Buttermilk Bay. 



Attached algal production in Buttermilk Bay is negligible, because 

 rock and cobble are common in only a few areas. Altogether there is 

 less than 6.5 ha of attached algae habitat in this Bay, or 0.3 g C x 10° 



y-1. 



Epipelic periphyton are more important in Buttermilk Bay because 



there are ca. 50 ha of unvegetated mud bottom where periphytic algae may 



-? -1 

 be abundant. Assuming production rates of 100 g C m ^ y -^ , then this 



component may equal 0.5 x 10° g C y . 



Based on these estimates, eelgrass beds and their epiphytes 



account for 40% of all production in Buttermilk Bay (Table 2) . 



