Coral responses to degrading water quality are highly variable between species and depend on their trophic plasticity, acclimatization potential, and stress resistance. To assess the nutritional status and metabolism of the common scleractinian coral, Stylophora subseriata, in situ experiments were carried along a eutrophication gradient in Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia. Coral fragments were incubated in light and dark chambers to measure photosynthesis, respiration, and calcification in a number of shallow reefs along the gradient. Chlorophyll a (chl a), protein content, maximum quantum yield (F v / F m ), and effective quantum yield (U PS II) were measured on the zooxanthellae, in addition to host tissue protein content and biomass. Photosynthetic rates were 2.5-fold higher near-shore than mid-shelf due to higher areal zooxanthellae and chl a concentrations and a higher photochemical efficiency (U PS II). A 2-and 3-fold increase in areal host tissue protein and biomass was found, indicating a higher nutritional supply in coastal waters. Dark respiration, however, showed no corresponding changes. There was a weak correlation between calcification and photosynthesis (Pearson r = 0.386) and a lack of metabolic stress, as indicated by constant respiration and F v /F m and the ''clean'' and healthy appearance of the colonies in spite of high turbidity in near-shore waters. The latter suggests that part of the energetic gains through increased auto-and heterotrophy were spent on metabolic expenditures, e.g., mucus production. While coastal pollution is always deleterious to the reef ecosystem as a whole, our results show that the effect on corals may not always be negative. Thus, S. subseriata may be one of the few examples of corals actually profiting from land-based sources of pollution.

a b s t r a c tCoral recruitment was assessed in highly diverse and economically important Spermonde Archipelago, a reef system subjected to land-based sources of siltation/pollution and destructive fishing, over a period of 2 years. Recruitment on settlement tiles reached up to 705 spat m À2 yr À1 and was strongest in the dry season (July-October), except off-shore, where larvae settled earlier. Pocilloporidae dominated nearshore, while a more diverse community of Acroporidae, Poritidae and others settled in the less polluted mid-shelf and off-shore reefs. Non-coral fouling community appeared to hardly influence initial coral settlement on the tiles, although, this does not necessarily infer low coral post-settlement mortality, which may be enhanced at the near-and off-shore reefs as indicated by increased abundances of potential space competitors on natural substrate. Blast fishing showed no local reduction in coral recruitment and live hard coral cover increased in oligotrophic reefs, indicating potential for coral recovery, if managed effectively.

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Telah dilakukan penelitian tentang kelayakan kualitas air untuk kawasan budidaya Eucheuma cottonii berdasarkan aspek fisika, kimia dan biologi di Kabupaten Kepulauan Selayar, pada bulan September – November 2014. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui kawasan budidaya rumput laut berdasarkan kondisi fisika, kimia dan biologi di perairan Kepulauan Selayar. Penentuan lokasi budidaya rumput laut dilakukan dengan penyusunan matrik kesesuaian berdasarkan hasil skoring dan pembobotan. Hasil penelitian memperlihatkan kisaran nilai: a) Parameter fisika terdiri atas: (1) kedalaman sebesar 6,5 m– 11,5 m, (2) kecerahan 1,61 m– 6,51 m, (3) suhu perairan 29 ºC– 30,7 ºC, (4) salinitas perairan 28 ppt – 31,5 ppt, (5) material dasar perairan mempunyai jenis antara lain: lumpur, pasir dan karang, (6) kecepatan arus 0,02 m/det - 0,156 m/det, (7) muatan padatan tersuspensi 16,097 mg/l- 58,350 mg/l. b) Parameter kimia terdiri dari: (1) oksigen terlarut 3 ppt - 6,3 ppm, (2) pH 7,13- 7,66, (3) fosfat 0,211 mg/l- 1,904 mg/l, (4) nitrat 0,032- mg/l- 1,412 mg/l. c) Parameter biologi terdiri atas: (1) kelimpahan fitoplankton 20500 sel/l- 46500 sel/l dan (2) klorofil-a 0,110 mg/l- 0,889 mg/l. Hasil skoring menunjukkan untuk kelima stasiun dapat dilakukan kegiatan budidaya E. cottonii yaitu pada desa Bonelohe, Baruyya, Barugayya, Dodaia dan Tongke-tongke.