Coral reef ecosystem health status of Paladan Islands, Indonesia: An assessment criteria using coral cover percentage

Abstract

Abstract. Widodo ERS, Katili AS, Ibrahim M. 2021. Coral reef ecosystem health status of Paladan Islands, Indonesia: An assessment criteria using coral cover percentage. Indo Pac J Ocean Life 5: 8-13. This study aims to analyze the health of coral reef ecosystems in Paladan Island waters, Tojo Una-una District, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. This research is a quantitative descriptive study using roaming data collection techniques and measuring the overall length of coral reef cover in a 5x5 meter2 plot. The research was conducted for 4 months using survey methods. The percentage of live coral cover and mortality index was calculated and categorized according to coral reef health criteria reported from literature. The result showed that coral reefs in the Paladan Island waters exhibit 72.9% life coral cover with an IMK value of 0.09. A comparison of this result with the standardized coral reef health criteria indicates that the percentage coral cover is within a healthy range (50-100%) with an IMK value of ? 0, suggesting that coral reef conditions have not changed or deteriorated. Based on the value of coral cover obtained, it is suggested that the coral reef of Paladan island is still in good condition. The rapid assessment criteria reported here may be useful for monitoring of coral reef ecosystem health.