Jurnal Ilmu dan Teknologi Kelautan Tropis, Vol. 6, No. 1, Hlm. 31-39, Juni 2014

ECHINODERMATA, atra, IN AN INTERTIDAL SEAGRASS BED OFF THE BAMA BEACH, BALURAN NATIONAL PARK, EAST JAVA, INDONESIA

Ana Setyastuti UPT Balai Konservasi Biota Laut-LIPI, Ambon E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT The occurrence of , Holothuria atra, was assessed in the seagrass area of the Bama beach, Baluran National Park in East Java. The study investigated the frequency and early stages of seagrass association preference of H. atra. Survey was conducted in May 2011 using belt transect (1m x 100m with three replicates). Frequency of H. atra and their association with seagrass were recorded. Furthermore, length and wet weight of each individual of H. atra were measured. The total of 146 individuals of H. atra were observed in which 37.67% associated with Enhalus acoroides (EA), 23.29% associated with Cymodocea rotundata (CR), 23,29% associated with mixed seagrass of E. acoroides and C. rotundata, and 15.75% associated with no seagrass habitats. The results suggested that small size H. atra might prefer to live under the taller seagrass stands such E. acoroides, which could be morphologically benefits the H. atra by providing better protection and shelter area.

Keywords: Holothuria atra, Enhalus acoroides, Cymodocea rotundata, Baluran National Park.

I. INTRODUCTION usually its body covered with sands (Bakus, 1973; Rowe and Doty, 1977; Baluran National Park is one of the Aziz, 1995). It has been suggested that Indonesia’s National Parks located in sand reflected light enabled H. atra to Situbondo Regency at the northeastern tip have a slightly lower body temperature of east Java. The Park is bordered by the (Aziz, 1995). Just like other sea Madura Strait in the north, the Bali Strait cucumber, H. atra is an , in the east, the Bajulwati River in the consuming , uneaten food, and west, and the Klokoran River in the south algae in the substrate. It ingests sand (Figure 1). The park area is dominated by grains, digests the nutrient, and then savana vegetation and forest. Along the expels sand pellets both in day and night coastline, irregular embayments, time (Bakus, 1973; Anonymous, 2011). peninsulas, reefs, sandbanks, mudflats, Sea cucumber not only play an mangroves, and swamp forests were also important ecological role, but some found. The seagrass communities off the species also economically importance. Baluran are generally found near beaches Due to its economical value, sea where the waves are less strong cucumber exploitation tends to increase (Anonymous, 2012). nationally and internationally. The Geographically, Holothuria atra is numbers of countries involving in sea the most abundant sea cucumber species cucumber exploitation and trading become in Indo-Pacific region (Bakus, 1973; doubled during the last two decades Rowe and Doty, 1977; Aziz, 1995; (Setyastuti, 2013). This tendency making Massin, 1996). It is not only common on sea cucumber in highly risk of sandy beach but also at any type of overexploitation and depletion (Bruckner substrate and coral reef ecosystem (Aziz, et al., 2003; Tuwo, 2004; Purwati and 1995). Their color in general is black and Yusron, 2005; Choo, 2008; Purwati et al.,

@Ikatan Sarjana Oseanologi Indonesia dan Departemen Ilmu dan Teknologi Kelautan, FPIK-IPB 31 Echinodermata, Holothuria Atra, in an Intertidal Seagrass Bed ...

2010; Purcell et al., 2011; Setyastuti, conserved on the trading species seems 2013). This condition can endanger the lack of evidence. In that point of view, it sustainability of sea cucumber since the is necessary to do a research to get recovery of its heavily exploited stocks is baseline information on bio-ecological slow and sporadic (Kinch, 2002; Utichke aspect to as many as possible species of et al., 2004; Dissanayake and Stefansson, sea cucumber particularly on the trading 2012). Therefore, the sea cucumber species. The purpose of this study was to management has now become a investigate the frequency and early worldwide concern (Bruckner et al., 2003; supposition seagrass association preferen- Conand, 2004; Kinch et al., 2008; Purcell ce of H. atra in an intertidal seagrass bed et al., 2011). off Bama beach, Baluran National Park. The increasing demand of sea cucumber worldwide causing most of the II. METHODS high-value sea cucumber stocks have been overexploited. As a consequences, the 2.1. Study Site management seem to be shifted towards The study was conducted in a the low value species such H. atra single trip in May 2011, located at the (Lovatelli et al., 2004; Choo, 2008; Bama Beach, eastern side of the Baluran Dissanayake and Stefansson, 2012). In National Park (Figure 1). The geogra- international markets, H. atra named as phical position and habitat characteristic black lollyfish, but in local (Indonesia), H. of each transect are presented in Table 1. atra has many different names for each region (e.g. teripang hitam, keling, perut 2.2. Field sampling hitam, dara, cera). The knowledge of Investigation on frequency of H. atra many sea cucumber species on ecological individual used belt transect (1m x 100m preferences remains largerly unexplained with three replicates) orthogonal to the (Dissanayake & Stefansson, 2012), coast (Figure 1). Position of the transect therefore, the management approach to was choosen based on high frequency

Figure 1. Study location (black solid rectangulars) at Bama beach, Baluran National Park.

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Table 1. Description of the sampling area.

Frequency of Habitat Coordinates H. atra characteristic 34 Sandy substrate ′ 3 .3 ″ dominated by Transect 1 ′ 3. 6″ Cymodocea rotundata (CR) 34 Sandy substrate ′ 38. ″ Transect 2 dominated by CR ′ .9″ and EA 55 Fine sandy-muddy ′ . ″ substrate dominated Transect 3 ′ 38. 8″ by Enhalus acoroides (EA) Free collection Not recorded 23 Bare sandy substrate zoning of H. atra. Distance between the size (weight ≥ g; length ≥ 3 cm). center points of each sampling area was Furthermore, the associations of H. atra 10 m. Therefore, the total covered area in were classified into four conditions i.e, this survey was 300 m2 (100 m2 x 3). association with seagrass Enhalus Within the transect, frequency of H. atra acoroides (EA); association with seagrass and their association with seagrass were Cymodocea rotundata (CR); association recorded. Substrat type of the survey were with mix seagrass (EA+CR), and no also visually recorded. association (NA). Each individual found within the transect were manually measured its III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION length using gauge (1 mm accuracy) and their wet weight using digital weighting 3.1. Result scale (Ohaus 1000 g accuracy). When The physical condition of each measuring the length, it was ensured that transect site and free collection area were no hand contact with the individual of H. identical i.e., 3 C of the temperature and atra, since it will cause the contraction 35 of the salinity. A total of 146 that could make its body shrinking. individuals of H. atra were recorded on Furthermore, weight in this study relied this study (Table 1). Out of those, 37.67% on total wet body weight. Finally, all were captured in association with seagrass individuals that have been noted and EA, 23.29% with CR and mix (EA+CR), measured were returned back to the field. respectively. The rest 15.75% were Free collection was conducted in individual who exposed in bare sandy front of the mangrove area which still can substrate with no association (Figure 2). be found many H. atra that uncovered by Viewed from the body weight the sampling area. This additional method distribution, small size individual were was carried out to enrich the data. captured in the entire of survey area, but Afterwards, all the data of body weight mostly they were captured in association and length were classified into three with EA (55 individuals). Medium size categories i.e., small size (weight ≤ 99 g; individuals were captured only in length ≤ 9.9 cm); medium size (weight association with CR (9 individuals) and 200-499 g; length 10-30.99 cm), and large mix seagrass species (1 individual). Large

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sizes which only consist of 2 individuals individuals) and mix (1 individual). were captured in association with CR Whereas, the most individual of medium (Figure 3). sizes were captured in association with Based on body length distribution, EA (53 individuals), then mix seagrass mostly individuals of H. atra were in (33 individuals), CR (28 individuals), and medium size (137 individuals). Small size no association (23 individuals). consisted of only three individuals and Meanwhile, large size individuals were large size consisted of six individuals. only capture in association with CR (6 Furthermore, individuals of small size individu) (Figure 4). were captured in association with EA (2

Figure 2. Percentage of H. atra individual which associate with seagrass stands.

Figure 3. Weight distribution of H. atra with their seagrass association preference, A: Enhalus acoroides (EA); B: Cymodocea rotundata (CR); C: mix seagrass (EA+CR); D: no association. (Numbers above the bars represent total individuals in particular categories).

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Figure 4. Length distribution of recently H. atra individual with their seagrass association preference, A: Enhalus acoroides (EA); B: Cymodocea rotundata (CR); C: mix seagrass (EA+CR); D: no association. (Numbers above the bars represent total individuals in particular categories).

3.2. DISCUSSION concluded that the organic material was one of the most important factor Holothuria atra is the most influencing the habitat preference of sea common and most abundant sea cucumber cucumber. Since the highest density of H. species in some part of Indonesian waters atra was recorded in the seagrass habitat (Yusron, 2001a; Yusron, 2001b; Yusron, (Dissanayake and Stefansson, 2012), I 2007; Yusron and Widianwari, 2004). hypothesized that sea cucumber (H. atra Dense aggregation of H. atra in the in particular) may prefer vegetation in shallow water seagrass area in Bama seagrass habitat. beach, Baluran National Park was The result showed that most observed in this study. Those high individuals of H. atra in this study area frequency individuals may related not were captured in association with seagrass only because of the sampling location was (see Figure 2). The observed affinity of H. a conservation area which protect all atra with seagrass may be related to the species inhabiting from human sheltering effect of the seagrass canopy exploitation but also it could be related to and nutritional factor in the bottom of the food availability. seagrass. Based on Komatsu et al. (2004), Several study had been conducted the seagrass will trap more nutrient in the to understanding the possibility of habitat baseline which certainly bring benefit to preference of sea cucumber (Eriksson et the benthic community inhabiting in al., 2012; Dissanayake and Stefansson, seagrass area including H. atra. 2012; Purcell et al., 2009; Purcell, 2004; Most of the H. atra in this study Shiell, 2004; Conand and Mangion, 2002; was found in association with EA, of Conand, 1990). Most of those study which dominated by small individual

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(weight categories). Otherwise, individual Echinodermata) preferred to live in the which associated with seagrass CR more bottom of mangroves area then gradually varied in weight and length size. Mix move to seagrass, sandy habitats, and seagrasses (EA+CR) were dominated by shoals as they get older (Bos et al., 2011). individual with small to medium. H. atra are deposit feeders and Furthermore, individual which had no their dense aggregation in seagrass habitat association with seagrass was only found could be related to their feeding. Since in small size (see Figure 3). Based on seagrass area rich of particulate matter and those result, it showed a tendency that detritus (Komatsu et al., 2004; smaller (in weight) individual of H. atra Thangaradjou and Kannan, 2007) and H. inhabiting Bama beach might prefer to atra ingest sand grains and digest organic live in any habitat with or without matter attatched to them (Bakus, 1973; seagrass vegetation, even specifically they Dissanayake and Stefansson, 2012; were mostly in association with taller Anonymous, 2011), therefore, this kind of seagrass stands (EA). However, this wa bioturbation possibly raise the seagrass still provisional conclusion because the beds productivity (Schneider in Eriksson result of length distribution showed a et al., 2012). The study showed the different pattern. Individuals in small size highest frequency of H. atra were found were captured in only association with EA on the vegetated bottoms of EA which and mix vegetation, otherwise the medium visually fine sandy-muddy substrate type. size individuals were found in all survey I assumed that EA bottom had the higher areas with or without seagrass (see Figure organic matter content than the others. 4). In general, all large size individuals Anyhow, some marine species tend to were always in association with CR (see experience in aggregation, and their Figure 3 and 4). distribution could be influenced by biotic Seagrass are significantly reducing relationships, sediment characteristics water movement close to the sediment (i.e., grain size and organic content), and surface (Komatsu et al., 2004). habitat variable such as shelter availability Considering this ecological role of (Conand, 1989; Dissanayake and seagrass, this study suggested that the Stefansson, 2012; Shiell and Knott in taller seagrass stands will make better Eriksson et al., 2012). sheltering area for smaller individual. Considering that sea cucumbers There was also a tendency that small to become depleted because of excessive medium size individual were prefer to hunting in their natural habitats some non-specifically associate with shorter commercialy low value species such H. (CR) or taller (EA) or mix seagrass. On atra seems to be the next (or the other side, large size individuals were suplementary) commodity (Bruckner et always associate with shorter seagrass. al., 2003; Tuwo, 2004; Lovatelli et al., Therefore, we can assume that H. atra 2004; Purwati and Yusron, 2005; Choo, could experience the ontogenetic habitat 2008; Purwati et al., 2010; Purcell et al., shift, since in many marine species the 2011; Dissanayake and Stefansson, 2012). habitat shift may occurs on different stage The results from this study could be used of the life-history (Shiell, 2004; Bos et al., as a baseline information for further 2011; Erickson et al., 2012). However, development of viable restocking more investigation is still needed programs. However, more investigations especially for H. atra, although several are still needed to convince that smaller publications had been reported that individual of H. atra prefers to associate juvenile of Archaster typicus (Asteroidea; with EA.

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IV. CONCLUSION Bakus, G.J. 1973. The biology and ecology of tropical holothurians. Holothuria atra was observed in In: Jones, O.A. and R. Endean high frequency at Bama beach, Baluran (eds.). Biology and Geology of National Park. Most individual were coral reefs. Academic Press. New captured in association with seagrass. The York. 325-367pp. results showed that all individuals Bos, A.R., G.S. Gumanao, M.M. van associated with EA were individual with Katwijk, B. Mueller, M/M. smaller weight. This condition can be Saceda, R.L.P. Tejeda. 2011. related to the sheltering effect of the Ontogenetic habitat shift, seagrass canopy and the present of population growth and burrowing abundant nutrient in the bottom of behavior of the Indo-Pacific beach seagrass area. star, Archaster typicus (Echinodermata; Asteroidea). Mar. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Biol., 158:639-648. Bruckner, A.W., K.A. Johnson, and J.D. I would like to thank to Mrs. Dian Field. 2003. Conservation strate- Saptarini, M.Sc. as a head of Biology gies for sea cucumbers: can a study program at Institute Technology 10 CITES appendix II listing promote November Surabaya and as a fieldtrip sustainable international trade. financier to Baluran National Park for this SPC Beche-de-mer Information study. The author also acknowledge the Bulletin, 18:24-33. administrator of Baluran National Park Choo, P.S. 2008. Population status, who gave permission to observed the fishery and trade of sea cucumbers Bama beach. Thanks to all students in Asia. In: Toral-Granda, V., A. (Amel, Eki, Irvan, Wenny, Citra and Sita) Locatelli, and M. Vasconcellos for their assistance in the field and (eds.). Sea cucumbers: a global labworks. Thanks to I.B. Vimono and A.J. review of fisheries and trade. FAO Wahyudi for the discussion and Fisheries and Aquaculture Techni- comments, as well to S. Rahmawati for cal Paper no. 516. Rome. 81- the map. 118pp. Conand, C. 1990. The fishery resources of REFERENCES Pacific Island countries. Part 2 Holothurians. FAO Fisheries Anonymous. 2011. Black sea cucumber Technical Paper, No. 272. FAO- (Holothuria atra) profile. Rome. 2–143pp. http://www.salaquarium.about. Conand, C. 1989. Les holothuries com/od/seacucumbercare/p/prblac aspidochirotes du lagon de kcucumber.htm. [Retrieved on 13 Nouvelle-Caledonie: biologie, June 2011]. ecologie et exploitation. Etudes et Anonymous. 2012. Sejarah, letak dan luas theses. ORSTOM, Paris. 393p. kawasan. http://www.balurannatio- Conand, C. 2004. Convention on nalpark. web.id. [Retrieved on 23 international trade in endangered August 2012]. species of wild fauna and flora Aziz, A. 1995. Beberapa catatan tentang (CITES) conservation and trade in teripang bangsa Aspidochirotida. sea cucumber. SPC Beche-de-mer Oseana, 20(4):11-23. Information Bulletin, 20:3-5.

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