Table 2. Production, production to respiration, and calcification rates on different coral reef substrata based on a summary of the literature (Smith 1983). These are the dominant substrata in the "framework," "pavement," and "sand" zones, respectively, of coral reefs. Varying proportions of one or both of the other substrata may be present in each substratum.

Substratum
Photosynthesis
(g C·m-2·d-1)
Production/respiration
Calcification
(kg CaCO3·m-2·y-1)
Continuous coral
20
1
10
Algal pavement
5
> 1
4
Sand and rubble
1
< 1
0.5