Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF HOLOTHURIAATRA IN PANJANG ISLAND, JEPARA, INDONESIA

Retno Hartati, Muhammad Zainuri, Ambariyanto Ambariyanto, Fabian Panji Ayodya, Widianingsih Widianingsih, Mustagpirin Mustagpirin and Agoes Soegianto

Abstract

As key components in marine ecosystems, sea cucumbers represent a significant resource for coastal livelihoods. One of new sea cucumber candidate species from Jepara waters is Holothuriaatra. The present status of those species has not been explored yet. Therefore this present works were aimed to do initial assessment of H. atra population in Panjang Island of Jepara. Biweekly survey has been carried out for three months by skin-diving using swept area methods in two different habitat of H. atra in Panjang Island Waters which has been tracked and marked. The samples of sea cucumber were taken, measured for the length and put them back in their habitat. The result showed that the density of H. atra in the sea grass habitat were higher than in the sandy-rubble with macro algae habitat but in contrary for the length data. It indicated that there was relationship between habitat and eco physiology of the species.