Sains Malaysiana 45(7)(2016): 1019–1024

Trend of Meiobenthos Density and Composition in Karah Island, South China Sea

(Corak Kepadatan dan Komposisi Meiobentos di Pulau Karah, Laut China Selatan)

K. ZALEHA^1,3*, M.N. NASIRATUL_SHAHIDA², H.Y. SIANG² & B.Y. KAMARUZZAMAN¹

¹Department of Marine Science, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia

Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Darul Makmur, Malaysia

²School of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Mengabang Telipot, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

³INOCEM Research Station, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia

Kg. Cherok Paloh, 26160 Kuantan, Pahang Darul Makmur, Malaysia

Received: 4 July 2015/Accepted: 31 January 2016

ABSTRACT

Meiobenthos in Bidong Archipelago in coastal water of the South China Sea is hypothesised to have a certain trend of distribution particularly in the island ecosystem where it is usually having different type of sea bottom. Nonetheless, since it is located in a tropical area, the trend at the sub-tidal could be less obvious due to absent of clear season. Meiobenthic sampling was carried out in Karah Island, an island in Bidong Archipelago, from the intertidal, towards the sub-tidal zone covering the coral and non-coral area to see the trend in the density and composition. A transparent hand core was used to collect benthos samples. Nematoda and harpacticoid copepods dominated the intertidal and sub-tidal zone respectively. Harpacticoid copepods were higher in density in the non-coral sediment than the coral area. This could be due to the high content of silt and clay in the coral area (2.98% of silt and clay). The 2-dimension MDS analysis on the density data indicated the highest degree of scattering and an over-lapping condition for those intertidal and sub-tidal samples respectively. ANOSIM result showed that the degree of similarity was lower at the intertidal (70%) than the sub-tidal (reaching 90%) in the first sampling before both became no significant different in the second sampling. It could indicate the stable condition in the subtidal than the intertidal ecosystem. The comparatively low density of meiobenthos could indicate their response towards the environmental condition in the area which will only be confirmed by long term ecological study.

Keyword: Harpacticoid; island; meiobenthos; nematoda; South China Sea

ABSTRAK

Meiobentos di Kepulauan Bidong di perairan Laut China Selatan mungkin mempunyai corak taburan yang tertentu terutamanya di dalam ekosistem pulau dan terdapat jenis permukaan dasar yang berbeza-beza. Walau bagaimanapun, oleh kerana ia terletak di kawasan tropika, corak di kawasan pasang-surut mungkin kurang jelas berikutan daripada ketiadaan kesan musiman. Pensampelan meiobentos telah dijalankan di Pulau Karah, sebuah pulau di Kepulauan Bidong, dari kawasan antara pasang-surut, menuju zon pasang-surut yang meliputi kawasan karang dan tanpa karang, untuk memerhatikan corak kepadatan dan komposisi. Nematoda dan harpaktikoid copepod mendominasi masing-masing di zon antara pasang-surut dan pasang-surut. Harpaktikoid copepod mempunyai kepadatan yang lebih tinggi di sedimen tanpa karang berbanding zon karang. Ini berkemungkinan disebabkan oleh kandungan liat dan lumpur yang tinggi di dalam kawasan karang (2.98% liat dan lumpur). Analisis 2-dimensi MDS ke atas data kepadatan menunjukkan aras serakan yang paling tinggi berlaku di kawasan antara pasang-surut dan keadaan bertindih berlaku kepada sampel dari kawasan pasang-surut. Keputusan ANOSIM menunjukkan aras keserataan adalah rendah di zon antara pasang-surut (70%) berbanding zon pasang-surut (mencapai 90%) di dalam pensampelan pertama sebelum kedua-dua kawasan menunjukkan tiada persamaan signifikan di dalam pensampelan kedua. Ini menunjukkan keadaan stabil ekosistem pasang-surut berbanding zon antara pasang-surut. Kepadatan meiobentos yang rendah secara bandingan mungkin menunjukkan tindak balas terhadap keadaan persekitaran yang hanya dapat disahkan melalui kajian ekologi jangka panjang di kawasan ini.

Kata kunci: Harpaktikoid; Laut China Selatan; meiobentos; nematoda; pulau

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*Corresponding author; email: drzack@iium.edu.my