Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

BIOFOULING COLONIZATION ON CUBIC ARTIFICIAL REEFS IN PANTAI DAMAS, TRENGGALEK, INDONESIA

Andik Isdianto, Oktiyas Muzaky Luthfi, Shafa Thasya Thaeraniza and Agoes Soegianto

Abstract

Biofouling or biological fouling is the term used for colonization of hard surfaces from substrate include artificial by living organisms in the column of water. The mechanism of biofouling succession on a substrate starts biochemical condition, bacteria colonization, unicellular algae colonization, and attach of invertebrate larvae or propagule. Poor live coral coverage due to natural and anthropogenic influence becomes the main reason to deploy concrete cubic artificial reef in Pantai Damas area. Two years later the monitoring project was conducted to examine fouling assemblages in artificial reefs. The result showed ten macrofouling organisms’ life from these waters are recorded in which barnacle is one of the successful species colonized at the artificial reef surface. The dominance of barnacle occupying of artificial reef suggested a strong correlation between substratum properties such as surface roughness, wide surface area, type of substratum, and organic composition.