Invertebrates

Benthic organisms also can be known as benthos. The mainly group of benthos is the invertebrates. Usually, it live on or in the water bottom.The benthic invertebrate habitat may be shallow or deep, warm or cold, brimming with food and life or nearly sterile. Some benthic creatures spend their lives buried in sediment, while others rarely touch the solid bed, most attach to, crawl over, swim next to, or otherwise interact with the bottom continuously throughout their lives.  

Example of invertebrates

Methodology:

The method used for the invertebrate is same like coral where the same transect is used to determine the invertebrate which present in the area. The  the Point intercept transects (PIT) was used where it measure objects at  specific intervals either below the transect tape, or below and to the side of the transect tape. A point intercept transect involves recording the presence and absence of species at set point along the line. The transect was placed at the chosen site and was laid directly on top of the reefs. The coordinates of the site where the transect was placed was taken by using a GPS. Then, snorkelers swims along the transect line to observed the reefs life form. Every category observed directly under each 1 meter was observed, identified and recorded into the table prepared on the slate board. The following formula was used to calculate the percentage of invertebrates present was:

Percentage Cover of Spp A  =    (No. of point hits Spp A / Total No. of Points)    X    100%

Results:

Figure 1.0 Percentage of invertebrates

The Figure 1.0 above shows the percentage of invertebrate which cover the area along the transect set up in the Kapas Island water. The highest percentage is of sea cucumber (43%)  followed by sea urchin (31%) and giant clam (15%). While the rest group have only minor percentage around 4 to 1%. The sea cucumber belong to class Holothuroidea. It is marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. While, sea urchin  belong to  class  Echinoidea.Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars and the giant clam, Tridacna gigas , is the largest living bivalve mollusk.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, there are seven invertebrates found in this study which is sea cucumber, sea urchin, giant clam, sea anemone, seaweed, sponge, Christmas tree worm and gastropode. while the highest percentage abundance recorded by sea cucumber.