Kepadatan dan Laju Pertumbuhan Bulu Babi (Tripneustes gratilla) di Perairan Letman, Kabupaten Maluku Tenggara

Abstract

Kata kunci: kepadatan, laju pertumbuhan, bulu babi ABSTARCT Fishing activities for seagrass biota, especially for sea urchins, tend to be over-fishing. Sea urchins are collected from nature without considering the aspect of sustainability, so there is a tendency for the sea urchin population to decrease drastically from year to year. The decline in sea urchin stocks in nature will accelerate if the level of exploitation is more frequent, because the addition of new individuals (recruitment) from the population is not proportional to the catch. It is estimated that the level of exploitation of these resources in nature has exceeded the permissible limits (over exploitation). The aims of the research included knowing and analyzing the density and growth rate of sea urchins (T. gratilla). The research is planned to be carried out in the coastal waters of Letman, Kei Kecil Islands from September to November 2022 with two samplings per month. Sea urchin samples were obtained from the results of sampling using the belt transect method at low tide and installed perpendicular to the shoreline towards the sea. The density of sea urchins in Letman waters is low with an uneven distribution regarding seagrass depth and cover. The diameter of the sea urchins caught ranged from 1.7-8.8 cm with an average size of 5.2 cm. The results of the analysis showed that the growth of sea urchins was negative allometric, slow and small infinitive diameter.