ABUNDANCE OF Acanthaster planci AS HEALTH OF CORAL INDICATOR IN TUNDA ISLAND, SERANG REGENCY, BANTEN
Authors: Zamani Neviaty P. 
Published: October 2017

<p><em>The abundance </em><em>of </em><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Acanthaster</span></em><em> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span></em><em> can be used as a health indicator of coral reef ecosystem. A high abundance of <span style="text-decoration: underline;">A.</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span> become phatogen on coral and an </em><em>indication of unhealthy</em><em> </em><em>coral reef ecosystem. The objective of this </em><em>study was</em><em> to evaluate health of coral reef ecosystem based on the abundance of <span style="text-decoration: underline;">A.</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span> and the </em><em>percent </em><em>coral cover </em><em>at Tunda I</em><em>sland</em><em>,</em><em> Banten. </em><em>Field</em><em> observation conducted in January 2014. </em><em>The </em><em>stations were selected by purposive </em><em>sampling </em><em>method and based on four-wind direction i.e., north, south, east, and west. Reef data</em><em> was</em><em> </em><em>measured </em><em>using Line Intercept Transect (LIT)</em><em>, while sampling method for </em><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">A</span></em><em>. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span> using Belt Transect. Results showed that the water temperature ranged of 26-28°C, brightness 100%, current speed ranging between 0.05 ms<sup>-1</sup>and 0.19 ms<sup>-1</sup>, and salinity of 30-32 ppt. </em><em>The water quality </em><em>values showed a normal range</em><em> which </em><em> support the life of the coral and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">A.</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span></em><em>. The Percent coral cover range</em><em>d of</em><em> </em><em>54.95-73.00% indicating a good condition. The abundanceof <span style="text-decoration: underline;">A.</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span> was of 0.02-0.03 ind/m<sup>2</sup></em><em>. </em><em>Result showed that </em><em>coral cover</em><em> percentage and the abundance of <span style="text-decoration: underline;">A.</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span> did not have a significant relationship.</em><em> Eventhoug</em><em>h an</em><em> </em><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">A.</span></em><em> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span></em><em> eat</em><em>s</em><em> the coral polip, but </em><em>with </em><em>smal</em><em>l</em><em> amount of </em><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">A.</span></em><em> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span></em><em> in the coral reef</em><em>, they</em><em> </em><em>merely </em><em>help to clean the old and unhealthy polip. Th</em><em>is</em><em> activit</em><em>y</em><em> will help coral</em><em>s</em><em> to regenerat</em><em>e</em><em> their polip. </em><em>Overall, based on the small abundance of <span style="text-decoration: underline;">A</span>. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">planci</span> and t</em><em>he </em><em>relatively high </em><em>coral cover </em><em>percentage, </em><em>the coral reef ecosystem in Tunda </em><em>i</em><em>sland </em><em>was categorised</em><em> in a healthy condition. </em></p> <p><em> </em></p> <strong><em>Keywords: </em></strong><em>A. planci</em><em>, coral reef, Tunda Island</em>