Influence of management status on the coral reef fish communities in Ujung Kulon National Park, Banten

Abstract

Ujung Kulon National Park (TNUK) employs a management with the zonation system established to maintain the sustainability of resources, one of them are coral reef fish. This study aimed to identify the influence of management status on coral reef fish. Field observations were conducted on 14-22 October 2017 in Ujung Kulon using underwater visual census method, by recording the fish found in observation transects. The coral reef fish most frequently found in Core Zone was Caesionidae, while in The Marine Protection Zone is Acanthuridae. The Core Zone has higher species richness, and more abundance of coral reef fish than the Marine Protection Zone, although only species richness parameter shows a significant difference based on statistical tests. The management status that regulates the activities in each zoning has an impact on the coral reef ecosystem, including coral reef fish communities in it. Coral reef fish in the Core Zone have more diverse species than the Marine Protection Zone, because the coral reefs in the Core Zone are more preserved than the Marine Protection Zone.