Recruitment of Scleractinian Corals at Lembata Island Waters

Potential recruitment of Scleractinian corals is very important in coral reef management, since coral reef recovery is very dependent on coral recruitment. Study on coral recruitment was conducted in Lembata waters, Nusa Tenggara Timur, on July 2011. Objectives of the study were to determine taxa (family and genera) diversity and abundance of coral recruits. Results showed that coral families of Acroporidae, Pocilloporidae, and Poritidae had highest contribution to the whole coral recruitment. Study locations in the Flores Sea (Pulau Lapan, Pulau Watupeni, Pulau Wuku) showed genera composition that is different from other study locations. The three islands in the Flores Sea also had significantly higher recruit abundance than those in other locations.Original Abstract: Potensi rekruitmen karang sangat penting di dalam pengelolaan terumbu karang, karena potensi pemulihan terumbu karang tergantung pada rekruitmen karang. Penelitian rekruitmen karang Scleractinia dilakukan di perairan Pulau Lembata, Nusa Tenggara Timur, pada bulan Juli 2011. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui keanekaragaman dan kelimpahan rekruit (anakan) karang. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Acroporidae, Pocilloporidae, dan Poritidae merupakan tiga famili karang yang mempunyai kontribusi terbesar pada rekruitmen karang di perairan Lembata. Komposisi genus karang pada stasiun penelitian di Laut Flores (Pulau Lapan, Pulau Watupeni, Pulau Wuku) berbeda dari komposisi genus karang di stasiun perairan selat sekitar Pulau Lembata dan Laut Sawu. Ketiga stasiun penelitian di Laut Flores juga mempunyai kelimpahan rekruit yang lebih tinggi dari lokasi lainnya.