Irrelationship between live coral cover and reef fish: an interim study of marine habitat dynamic on Mandangin Islands

Abstract

Abstract Most coral reef ecosystems with high coverage of living coral would escalate the reef fish abundance and species richness as one of the correlatable communities to the coral reef. However, reef fish could only utilize one of the coral reef ecosystems to provide to the reef fish community that still withstand and adapt to those conditions. This study aims to assess the coral reef ecosystem quality on Mandangin Islands and the correlation between the benthic substrate to the reef fish structure. Coral reef ecosystem was assessed using Line Intercept Transect and Underwater Visual Census. A linear model or regression analysis was built to identify the key predictors driving factor in the ecosystem. Rock, Sand, and Rubble are the highest benthic substrate around Mandangin Islands. Reef fish have a high abundance along the observation site with exhaustive trophic level, high major functional group, broad bodied size with high abundance small to moderate bodied-size. Rock has a positive correlation to reef fish abundance; Sand has possibilities to escalate species richness, whereas live coral negatively correlates to reef fish. Historically Mandangin Islands contained a healthy coral reef ecosystem that degraded after years, yet reef fish withstand and adapt to the Mandangin Islands’ degraded coral reef ecosystems. Rock is coral that loses several of its function, especially as direct nourishment. This study showed that reef fish should be considered as one of the primary data to strengthen the decision-making of Integrated Coastal Management and Oil Spill Contingency Plans by the Oil and Gas Company.