Assessing Life-History Strategies of Hard Corals Genera between Kei Besar, Southeast Maluku and Misool, Raja Ampat

Abstract

Identifying hard coral genera using a life-history approach would help in predicting the potential resilience. It becomes essential to evaluate the condition of hard corals that are increasingly threatened. The objective of the study is to investigate life-historical strategies of hard corals between Kei Besar, Southeast Maluku and Misool, and Raja Ampat, which refer to the composition of benthic communities and coral life-forms; the contribution of families and genera of hard corals; and its (hard corals) coverage. The study was conducted in November 2018 and May 2019 by using Point Intercept Transect (PIT) with three replicates, and each transect was 50-meter long transect line laid parallel to the shoreline. The PIT method was applied to assess benthic communities and the genera coverage of hard corals. Benthic communities in both regions were dominated by hard coral (Kei Besar 60 ± 10.36%; Misool 38 ± 7.08%) which followed by abiotic (14.44 ± 6.43%) and algae (13.00 ± 3.43%) in Kei Besar Island. Misool Island was dominated by hard corals and followed by soft corals (20.08 ± 7.96%) and abiotic (26.44 ± 8.52%). Kei Besar describes a type of stress-tolerant life history with a high amount of Coral Massive life-forms (30.91%). Besides, the genus Porites (24.14%) consists the most amount of hard corals genera in Kei Besar Island. In Misool, where the genus Acropora (24.17%) %) consists of the most amount of hard coral genus, with a competitive life history.