IJBPAS, September, 2018, 7(9): 1675-1685 ISSN: 2277–4998 MACROBENTHIC FAUNA ON THE ROCKY INTERTIDAL SHORE OF SULTAN NAGA DIMAPORO, LANAO DEL NORTE, MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES MARIA LOURDES DOROTHY G. LACUNA* AND GESREL P. MERLAS Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines *Corresponding Author Email:
[email protected] th th th st Received 27 Feb. 2018; Revised 25 March. 2018; Accepted 25 April 2018; Available online 1 Sept. 2018 https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2018/7.9.4523 ABSTRACT Macrobenthic fauna on the rocky intertidal shores of Sultan Naga, Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte were assessed on October, 2017. The transect-quadrat method was employed to assessed macrobenthic communities in the 3 sampling stations. Thirty four taxa of macrobenthos belonging to 4 major groups, namely phylum Echinodermata, Mollusca, Arthropoda and Sipuncula were identified. The molluscan group dominated in terms of species richness by having 21 species, followed by the echinoderms which consisted of 11 species, while both sipinculid and arthropod comprised only of 1 species. Diversity profile showed that stations 1 and 2 were diverse and able to support rich communities of macrobenthic fauna, whereas station 3, which was less diverse, was largely dominated by echinoderms specifically by the ophiuroid group. The reason behind this difference may be attributed to human pressure such as invertebrate gleaning. Keywords: Ophiothrix longipeda, MPA, diversity 1675 IJBPAS, September, 2018, 7(9) Maria Lourdes Dorothy G. Lacuna* And Gesrel P. Merlas Research Article INTRODUCTION Intertidal zone is the part of the marine because of its rich marine resources.