Table 3: Comparison of ecological attributes between the Alvarado Lagoon (AL), Alvarado Adjacent Continental Shelf (AACS) and Alvarado Lagoon-Alvarado Adjacent Continental Shelf (AL-AACS).

Index Model
ALa AACSb AL-AACSc
Sum of consumptions / total system throughput (TFC/TST) 0.47 0.262 0.42
Sum of flows to respiration / total system throughput (TFR/TST) 0.36 0.130 0.22
Sum of flows to detritus / total system throughput (TFD/TST) 0.09 0.349 0.35
Sum of all production / total system throughput (TPP/TST) 0.58 0.463 0.48
Total primary production / total respiration (PP/TR) 1.30 2.946 1.65
Total primary production / total biomass (PP/TB) 16.5 22.68 15.27
Total biomass / total system throughput /TB/TST) 0.02 0.016 0.023
Connectance index (IC) 0.27 0.197 0.125
System omnivory (SIO) 0.25 0.262 0.233
Mean Trophic Level of Catch (MTLC) 2.31 3.1 2.80

a. Cruz-Escalona et al., (2007), b. Cruz-Escalona, (2005), c. Cruz-Escalona et al. (this study).