Date of Award

1-1-2001

Thesis Type

Masters

Document Type

Thesis

Divisions

Institute for Advanced Studies

Department

-

Institution

Universiti Malaya

Abstract

A study on the effects of fish cage culture on mangrove macrobenthos diversity and abundance was carried out in the Matang mangrove estuary, Perak, Malaysia. Multiple investigations consisted of 4-month study, 12-hour study and I-day "grid" sampling. Six samplings (Dec 1999 - May 2000) were conducted along Sungai (River) Sangga Besar (SSB) (cage culture area) and Sungai Sangga Kecil (SSK) (non-cage culture area) by using a 0.1 m² Petersen Grab, Forty-four families (I nemertean, 12 polychaete, 5 bivalve, 11 gastropod, 7 decapod, 2 isopod, 2 amphipod, I ophiuroid and 3 fishes), comprising of 53 species were found, which increased in abundance towards the sea. Water parameters were stable but pH was lower in SSB which could be related to aquaculture activities. SSK was characterized by deeper waters, higher dissolved oxygen and salinity. The low dissolved oxygen in the rivers was suspected to cause stress to the macrobenthos especially in cage areas affecting the sessile bivalves although gastropod abundance was high. The nassarid and Assiminea gastropods were shown from the RDA analysis to prefer sandy substrate characterising the cage areas as well as attracted to the left-over feed materials that the cage culture provided. Higher macrobenthic abundance and higher dissolved oxygen point toward a more pristine SSK. Polychaetes, crabs (Xenophthalmus pinnolheroides) and isopods (Sphaeroma terebrans) were found to be higher, while bivalves and gastropod were found to significantly lower in SSK than in SSB. The results indicate that human intervention through fish and cockle farming may have altered the macrobenthic community in SSB. Diel or tidal phases did not play a significant role in diversity or abundance of macrobenthos although there were some significant interaction affects.

Initial

snms

Additional Information

Dissertation (M.A) -- Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, 2001

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