Environmental Health Impacts on The Sustainability of The Coral Reef Ecosystem in Gede Island, Indonesia

Abstract

Gede Island, located north of Rembang Regency in Central Java, Indonesia, hosts coral reefs in poor environmental health. This study aimed to assess the impact of environmental health on various dimensions of sustainability to guide stakeholder decision-making. A descriptive quantitative method was employed. Observations of coral reef variables, including type and percentage of cover, were conducted using the Point Intercept Transect (PIT) method. The sustainability status of management practices was analysed using the Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) method with Rapfish (Rapid Assessment Techniques for Fisheries) 2013 version R software. The results identified 16 genera from three sampling points: Station 1 had 30.35% hard coral cover, Station 2 had 1%, and Station 3 had 12.94%. The sustainability status of Gede Island's coral reefs was evaluated across five attributes: ecological (41.61%), social (48.05%), economic (40.08%), institutional (26.36%), and technological (57.03%). Among these, only the technological attribute was classified as moderately sustainable, while the others were deemed less sustainable. A high sustainability status offers significant potential and benefits for the local community, such as opportunities for ecotourism and fisheries sustainability.