Carbon stable isotope analysis of the feeding sources of benthic detritus and suspension feeders

In the gulf of Calvi, Corsica, three main plant carbon pools are entering the constitution of detrital organic matter : Phytoplankton, Posidonia meadows and benthic macroalgae. By the use of 13C/12C ratio analyses performed on various plants and animals, it was tried to determine the relative shares of these three pools in the detrital matter ingested by particles feeders. It appears that Posidonia, notwithstanding their important biomass, are a minor food source for zoobenthos. (Author)