The structure of rocky intertidal communities may be influenced by large-scale patterns of productivity. This study examines the in situ rates of production by intertidal epilithic microalgae (chlorophyll a production per unit area per month), intertidal nutrient concentrations (nitrates, nitrites, phosphates and silicates), and standing stocks of different functional-form groups of macroalgae around the South African coast, and their relationships to consumer biomass. Keywords: Intertidal epilithic microalgae, In situ production rates, Patella granularis, Consumer biomass, Communities, Nutrient gradients, Biogeochemistry.