Plankton Community Structure in Pangandaran Coastal Waters

Abstract

Pangandaran Beach is a coastal area used for fishing, tourism, and residential activities, which have the potential to put pressure on water quality. This study aims to analyze the plankton community structure and physical-chemical parameters of the waters to determine the condition of the Pangandaran Beach aquatic ecosystem. The study was conducted from July to September 2020 at three stations (west coast, white sand, and east coast). The study was conducted by measuring biological (plankton), physical (temperature, current, light transparency), and chemical (pH, DO, salinity, CO₂, ammonia, phosphate, and COD) parameters. Plankton found in Pangandaran Beach waters amounted to 16 classes consisting of 4 classes of phytoplankton and 12 classes of zooplankton. The results of the plankton analysis showed that the plankton community structure was classified as moderate with plankton abundance ranging from 2120-2571 ind/L. The diversity index is 2.42–2.48 (moderate), the uniformity index is 0.59–0.60 (quite evenly distributed), and the dominance index is 0.193–0.2078 (no dominant species). In general, the water quality of Pangandaran Beach is still within the seawater quality standards for marine tourism as stipulated in Government Regulation No. 22 of 2021. The parameters of light transparency, ammonia, and phosphate exceed the seawater quality standards for marine tourism, but are still within the quality standards for marine biota.