Hubungan Karakteristik Macro Marine Debris Terhadap Substrat Dasar Ekosistem Terumbu Karang di Perairan Taman Laut Pandanan, Lombok Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat

Abstract

Ekosistem terumbu karang saat ini menghadapi berbagai tekanan lingkungan, salah satunya akibat keberadaan sampah laut (marine debris), terutama sampah plastik. Indonesia sebagai salah satu negara penyumbang sampah plastik laut terbesar menghadapi permasalahan serius karena sebagian besar sampah tersebut berasal dari aktivitas daratan dan pesisir, termasuk wisata, perikanan, dan aktivitas masyarakat. Di perairan Taman Laut Pandanan, keberadaan marine debris, terutama plastik, berpotensi menjadi ancaman bagi ekosistem terumbu karang yang memiliki fungsi ekologis penting sebagai habitat, daerah asuhan, pemijahan, dan mencari makan bagi berbagai biota laut. Meskipun tutupan karang hidup di kawasan ini tergolong sedang, yaitu sekitar 32,7%, tekanan sampah laut tetap dapat menyebabkan kerusakan fisik, menutupi permukaan karang, mengganggu proses pertumbuhan, serta menurunkan kesehatan dan kualitas habitat terumbu karang. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji komposisi macro marine debris berdasarkan jenis, berat, dan kelimpahannya; mengidentifikasi karakteristik substrat dasar melalui lifeform karang; serta menilai hubungan antara rugositas dan karakteristik substrat dasar terhadap kelimpahan macro marine debris pada ekosistem terumbu karang di Perairan Taman Laut Pandanan. data diperoleh melalui metode Underwater Photo Transect, Belt Transect, dan Chain Intercept Transect (CIT). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perairan Taman Laut Pandanan telah mengalami akumulasi macro marine debris dengan total kelimpahan sebesar 107 item/m². Sampah plastik menjadi kategori yang paling dominan, yaitu sebesar 55,7% atau 59 item, dengan kepadatan mencapai 0,118 item/m² dan kontribusi berat sebesar 2.100 gram atau 47,0% dari total berat 4.776 gram. Tingginya keberadaan sampah laut ini diduga berkaitan dengan aktivitas manusia di wilayah pesisir serta dinamika arus yang berperan dalam membawa, menyebarkan, dan mengakumulasi debris di ekosistem perairan. Kondisi terumbu karang di lokasi penelitian menunjukkan tutupan karang hidup sebesar 6,6–43,2% dengan nilai rugositas 1,21–1,50, yang mengindikasikan bahwa struktur habitat karang masih tergolong sederhana. Interaksi antara debris dan karang paling banyak terjadi pada lifeform bercabang, terutama oleh sampah plastik sebanyak 9 interaksi, karena bentuk morfologinya lebih mudah memerangkap material asing. Secara keseluruhan, hasil ini menggambarkan bahwa macro marine debris, khususnya plastik, berpotensi menjadi tekanan fisik bagi ekosistem terumbu karang sehingga diperlukan pengelolaan sampah pesisir yang lebih efektif dan berkelanjutan.

Coral reef ecosystems are currently facing various environmental pressures, one of which is the presence of marine debris, particularly plastic waste. As one of the largest contributors to marine plastic waste, Indonesia faces a serious problem because most of this waste originates from land-based and coastal activities, including tourism, fisheries, and community activities. In the waters of Pandanan Marine Park, the presence of marine debris, particularly plastic, poses a potential threat to the coral reef ecosystem, which serves vital ecological functions as a habitat, nursery, spawning ground, and feeding ground for various marine species. Although live coral cover in this area is moderate, at around 32.7%, the pressure from marine debris can still cause physical damage, cover the coral surface, disrupt growth processes, and reduce the health and quality of the coral reef habitat. This study aims to examine the composition of macro marine debris based on type, weight, and abundance; identify seabed substrate characteristics through coral lifeforms; and assess the relationship between seabed roughness and substrate characteristics on the abundance of macro marine debris in the coral reef ecosystem of the Pandanan Marine Park waters. Data were collected using the Underwater Photo Transect, Belt Transect, and Chain Intercept Transect (CIT) methods. The results of the study indicate that the waters of Pandanan Marine Park have experienced an accumulation of macro marine debris with a total abundance of 107 items/m². Plastic waste was the most dominant category, accounting for 55.7% or 59 items, with a density of 0.118 items/m² and a weight contribution of 2,100 grams or 47.0% of the total weight of 4,776 grams. The high presence of this marine debris is suspected to be related to human activities in coastal areas as well as current dynamics that play a role in transporting, dispersing, and accumulating debris within the aquatic ecosystem. The condition of the coral reefs at the study site showed live coral cover of 6.6–43.2% with a rugosity value of 1.21–1.50, indicating that the coral habitat structure is still relatively simple. Interactions between debris and corals occurred most frequently on branching lifeforms, particularly with plastic debris (9 interactions), as their morphological structure is more prone to trapping foreign materials. Overall, these results suggest that macro marine debris, particularly plastic, has the potential to exert physical stress on coral reef ecosystems, thereby necessitating more effective and sustainable coastal waste management