Seagrass Ecological Quality Index of Seagrass Meadows in Tanjung Sungkai Village, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Aprizal Junaidi; Gatot Yulianto; Niken Tunjung Murti Pratiwi; Novi Susetyo Adi

doi:10.20527/mcs.v9i2.19342

Seagrass Ecological Quality Index of Seagrass Meadows in Tanjung Sungkai Village, Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, Indonesia

Aprizal Junaidi, Gatot Yulianto, Niken Tunjung Murti Pratiwi, Novi Susetyo Adi

Abstract

Seagrass meadows are important coastal ecosystems that provide habitat for marine organisms, stabilize sediments, protect shorelines, and storage carbon. However, increasing anthropogenic pressures may degrade seagrass ecosystems and reduce their ecological functions, highlighting the need for ecosystem health assessments to support management and conservation efforts. This study aimed to assess the health status of the seagrass ecosystem in Tanjung Sungkai Village, Kotabaru Regency, South Kalimantan, Indonesia, using the Seagrass Ecological Quality Index (SEQI). Field observations were conducted from May to June 2025 using the Seagrass-Watch method along six 100-m transects. The assessment incorporated five parameters: seagrass species richness, seagrass cover, macroalgal cover, epiphyte cover, and water transparency. The results revealed that the seagrass meadow consisted of four species, namely Halophila ovalis, Syringodium isoetifolium, Thalassia hemprichii, and Enhalus acoroides, with H. ovalis dominating 59% of the total seagrass cover. Mean seagrass cover was 33.05 ± 23.80%, while macroalgal and epiphyte cover averaged 6.16 ± 5.29% and 1.23 ± 1.37%, respectively. Water transparency was classified as clear across all transects. The calculated SEHI value was 0.740, indicating a good ecosystem health status and exceeding the Indonesian national average of 0.66. Despite moderate seagrass cover and lower species richness compared to previous studies, the low abundance of macroalgae and epiphytes, together with high water transparency, suggest that habitat quality remains favorable for maintaining seagrass ecosystem structure and function. These findings demonstrate that seagrass ecosystem health is influenced not only by vegetation cover but also by overall habitat quality.

Keywords

seagrass ecosystem, SEQI, Seagrass Ecological Quality Index, tanjung sungkai.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.20527/mcs.v9i2.19342