Autotrophic producers are organisms which mainly use mineral materials to produce organic matter.

In the lagoons, the autotrophic producers are the phytoplankton living in the water column and the phytobenthos inhabiting the surface of the sedimentary layer and the coral pinnacles. These organisms are said to be photo-autotrophic, because they use solar energy to produce organic matter (via a process of photosynthesis). 

The biomass is the total amount of living organisms present at a given moment. The production is the amount of matter produced per time unit by these organisms.

Autotrophic production can be restricted by low light energy levels and a shortage of nutrient salts.