Distribution Pattern of Black Sea Cucumber (Holothuria atra Jaeger, 1833) at the Intertidal Ecosystem of Bilik Coastal, Baluran National Park

Abstract

Baluran National Park (BNP) is a natural resource conservation area known for its diverse land and water ecosystems. The intertidal ecosystem of Bilik Coast is home to sea cucumbers (Holothuria atra), which have both ecological and economic value. It is important to note that H. atra is a protected species in the BNP conservation area. Therefore, studying the distribution pattern of H. atra in the intertidal ecosystem of Pesisir Bilik is crucial. This study aims to determine the type of distribution pattern of H. atra and describe its spatial distribution. Purposive sampling was conducted at maximum low tide, and biotic data were collected using the Global Positioning System (GPS) to obtain coordinates. Biotic data were measured at 9 points as a representative area. The type of distribution pattern of H. atra was analyzed using the Nearest Neighbor Index using ArcGIS 10.7 which shows the type of distribution pattern and describes its spatial distribution. The research results showed that the distribution pattern of H. atra was categorized as clustered based on the result of R (ratio) < 1 (0.458). H. atra species were distributed in seagrass communities, macroalgae communities, open areas, and coral reef communities.