Fauna vs flora contribution to the leaf epiphytes biomass in a Posidonia oceanica seagrass bed (Revellata Bay, Corsica).

The epiphyte biomass of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile leaves is mainly related to the substrate leaf availability. It decreases with increasing depth and increases from winter to summer, following the leaf biomass changes. In Revellata Bay (Gulf of Calvi, Corsica), at shallow depth (10m in this study) where photophilous algae grow, the fixed epifauna biomass accounts for about one third of leaf epiphytes biomass. At deeper depths in the Revellata Bay (20 and 30m), where shade-tolerant algae are dominant among epiflora, epifauna may account for more than half the leaf epiphytes biomass.Understanding Changes in the Mediterranean Posidonia oceanica ecosystem: an analysis of spatio-temporal variabilit