Diversity of gastropods as bioindicator of the coastal waters of Inner Ambon Bay

Abstract

The beach in Inner Ambon Bay is used by coastal communities to carry out various activities including household waste disposal, fishing activities and tourism. These activities cause the entry of waste into water bodies resulting in a decrease of water quality. This will lead to pollution on the coast if left unchecked. One of the resources living on the coast is gastropods which are generally able to describe waters conditions, so their presence can be used as an indicator for determining water quality. This study aims to determine the diversity of gastropods and the conditions of Halong coastal waters. This research was conducted in 2022 on the coast of Halong waters. Gastropods were collected using the belt transect method with distance between transects is 50 m. Gastropods collected were identified morphologically using standard literature book. Analysis was conducted to determine species density and ecological index of gastropods. The condition of the coastal waters of Halong was determined using STORET method and ABC curve method. The results showed that gastropods in the coastal waters of Halong consist of 3 orders, 13 families, 16 genera and 28 species with the highest density belongs to Cortica herbs. Diversity and evenness of gastropod in the area can be categorized as moderate with low dominance. Analysis of physical, chemical and biological parameter indicate that coastal waters of Halong was moderately polluted.