Benthic Community of the Sungai Pulai Seagrass Bed, Malaysia

Abstract

An ecological survey was carried out to investigate the benthos community structure based on density and diversity of the meiobenthos and macrobenthos communities inhabiting the seagrass bed and to investigate their relationship with environmental factors at Sungai Pulai estuary, Johor. A PVC hand corer was used to collect sediment samples from the 3rd to the 5th of December 2006 during the lowest tide. Three stations were chosen; Sungai Duku (S1) (07º24.137’N, 103º22.476’ E), Tanjung Adang (S2) (01º19.762’N, 103º33.894’ E) and Merambong (S3) (01º20.094’N 103º35.982’E). The highest density of meiobenthos was found at S2 followed by S3 and S1. The macrobenthos density was found to be greatest at S3 followed by S2 and S1. S2 had the highest diversity index with a value of 1.69 and 2.06 for meiobenthos and macrobenthos respectively. The statistical analysis demonstrated a significant difference existed between the benthic assemblages of the three stations. The differences in environmental parameters might be responsible for the assemblages of benthic community between stations.
Pemantauan ekologi telah dilakukan untuk menyiasat komuniti struktur bentos berdasarkan kepadatan dan kekayaan komuniti meiobentos dan makrobentos yang hidup di padang rumput laut dan juga bagi menyiasat perhubungan mereka dengan faktor-faktor persekitaran di muara Sungai Pulai, Johor. Tiub pengorek PVC digunakan untuk mengambil sampel sedimen bermula dari 3 hingga 5 Disember 2006 semasa air surut penuh. Tiga stesen penyampelan iaitu; Sungai Duku (S1) (07o24.137’N, 103o22.476’ E), Tanjung Adang (S2) (01o19.762’N, 103o33.894’ E) dan Merambong (S3)(01o20.094’N 103o35.982’E). Hasil kajian didapati jumlah kepadatan meiobentos tertinggi ditemui di S2, kemudian di S3 dan S1. Manakala jumlah kepadatan makrobentos tertinggi ditemui di S3, kemudian di S2 dan S1. S2 didapati mempunyai indeks kekayaan tertinggi dengan nilai 1.69 bagi meiobentos dan 2.06 bagi nilai makrobentos. Analisis statistik menunjukkan terdapat perbezaan bererti wujud antara pengumpulan bentik di tiga stesen. Perbezaan parameter persekitaran berkemungkinan bertanggungjawab dalam perbezaan pengumpulan komuniti bentik antara stesen