Variability of zooplankton in surrounding five small islands of Kotania Bay, Western Seram, Maluku, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract This study was conducted on March, July and October 2017 in Kotania Bay at 6 fixed stations surrounding five small islands namely Island of Marsegu, Osi, Burung, Buntal, Tatumbu and station off the coast. Those islands have a complexity of biological communities, such as, on Marsegu, Osi, Buntal and Burung, were dominated by mangrove, seagrass and coral reef communities. While the island of Tatumbu dominated by the community of mangrove and seagrass. This bay is a very potential and has considerable fisheries resources. Zooplankton organism were collected by towing zooplankton net horizontally and the samples were preserved using formaldehyde. Zooplankton abundance showed the peak abundance at station of Marsegu (2297 ind m -3), it was in the third period and the lowest was at the station of Osi, and it was during the first period (52 ind m -3). The zooplankton composition was highest during the third period (21 genera) at off-coast station, while the lowest was in the first period and second period (10 genera) at station Osi and station Burung, respectively. The highest similarity indices were between stations off-coast and Buntal at the value of 93.02% and the lowest was between station Buntal and Marsegu (61.90%). There were no correlations between the abundant of zooplankton and the hydrology parameters such as DO, temperature, salinity, pH and water clarity. However, the positive significant correlation between composition and the hydrological parameters during the first and third period (R2=0.53 and 0.65 respectively). It highlighted the differences in composition and abundance of zooplankton figured out the type of waters of those islands during period of study.