PATTERNS OF RUGOSITY ON CORAL REEFS AROUND LAE-LAE, SAMALONA, BARRANG LOMPO AND KAPOPOSANG ISLANDS
A. M. Agung Pratama Abdurrahman(1), Estradivari(2-3), Gunawan Syafruddin(1), Rohani Ambo-Rappe(4), Jamaluddin Jompa(4)

(1)Master Student in Marine Science Study Program, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
(2)Department of Ecology, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Germany
(3)Department of Marine Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Germany
(4)Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia

Abstract

Coral reef ecosystems are important for marine biodiversity. They play a key role in ocean energy flows, provide habitat for many marine organisms and support the livelihoods of coastal communities who often depend heavily on marine resources. Corals can have many growth forms, creating many nooks and crannies which provide specialised habitat niches which serve as places for marine organisms to shelter, live and breed. Reef rugosity is a simple measurement of the surface roughness- a high rugosity value will support fish communities. Coral reefs in good condition do not necessarily have high rugosity, and rugosity can vary within each coral reef zone, depending on the dominant form of coral reef structure in a given area. This research evaluated the differences in rugosity on reefs around several islands in the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia, based on their distance from the mainland (inshore-offshore zone) and the reef depth. Observation stations on the northwest coast were assumed to be further from the Sulawesi mainland and facing the open sea. Observation sites were Lae-Lae Island (inshore zone), Samalona and Barrang Lompo Islands (inner mid-shelf zone), and Kapoposang Island (outer zone). Coral reef rugosity data were collected using chains to measure the surface roughness. At each station rugosity was measured on the reef slope in several depth zones. Rugosity increased in line with the distance from the mainland at shallow depths, but not at deeper depths. Rugosity values will be influenced by the anthropogenic activities and natural dynamics which are the main factors causing rugosity to decline.

Keywords: Coral reefs, marine biota, reef fish, rugosity

Topic: Aquatic Ecology and Conservation (International)