PHYTOPLANKTON IN THE ANCHIALINE HABITAT OF RED SHRIMP (Parhippolyte uveae) AT MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM WATERS AROUND KOGUNA BEACH AREA, BUTON ISLAND, INDONESIA

Abstract

The anchialine habitat at mangrove ecosystem waters around Koguna Beach area is a closed water, isolated from the sea, overgrown with mangrove vegetation on the edges and inhabited by the typical shrimp from Parhippolyte uveae species. The existence of phytoplankton in this habitat can be used to determine the availability of natural food and the water quality of this shrimp’s habitat. However, none of the studies on phytoplankton have been done in this habitat. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the presence of phytoplankton in the anchialine habitat of red shrimp at Koguna Beach area, Buton Island, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Phytoplankton samples were obtained by filtering 100 liters of water using Plankton Net. The filtered water in a bucket is poured into a sample bottle and preserved by adding Lugol's solution. The identification of genus level was carried out by using a census method (10×10 magnification microscope and Sedgwick-Rafter Counting Cell (SRC)). Meanwhile, several biological indexes such as the diversity index, evenness index, and dominance index were used to analyze the phytoplankton community. The result showed that this habitat was dominated by phytoplankton from the classes Bacillariophyceae, Florideophyceae, and Globothalamea with a total of 13 genera in September 2021 and Bacillariophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Dinophyceae, and Globothalamea with a total of 18 genera in December 2021. The most common type of phytoplankton found in the red shrimp habitat during the study was Navicula sp. with a ban of 1436 cells/L and 479 cells/L in September 2021 and December 2021, respectively. The diversity index of phytoplankton in this habitat was low, meanwhile, the index of evenness and dominance indicated that this habitat was of good quality. This implies that this habitat can provide enough nutrients for P. uveae. This study can be used as a basic information for further research on the management control for this species habitat.