Gorgonians are the most conspicuous sessile macroinvertebrates at many hard-substrate sites in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Colonies from 3 sites, an isolated limestone outcropping at less than 2 m depth off coastal Florida (USA) and 2 exposed shelly sandstone and sandy rnudstone carbonate areas at depths of 22 and 27 m on the inner shelf off Alabama (USA), were sampled to estimate secondary production. Maximum colony ages ranged from 5 to 10 yr. Tissue mass for each age class was estimated from determinations of coenenchyme thickness and colony surface area. Secondary production was estimated from colony densities, age distribution, biomass per age class, and the increase in colony biornass between age classes. Production estimates for Leptogorgia hebes at the 2 offshore sites were 2.3 and 6.8 g ash-free dry mass (AFDM) yr-' while production of L. virgulata at the inshore site was 10.5 g AFDM m-2 yr-l, values similar to those reported for tropical scleractinian corals. Annual production-to-biomass ratios ranged from 0.37 to 0.45, indicating similar turnover times at all northern Gulf sites.
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