Coral

Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria which typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. The underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals known as coral reef area. Usually, coral reef also called as “rainforests of the sea”, coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. 

Methodology:

In this coral survey, 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 corals:

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


For the calculation of the coral index:
   1. Condition Index (CI) calculation was used to indicate the coral assemblage and 
       also the degree of stress on reefs with the formula of:

                                      CI = log ₁₀ [CR/(DC+AL+OT)]        

        Where,      CR= Percentage area cover of live coral category                         

                           DC= Percentage area cover of dead coral category             

                          AL= Percentage area cover of algae category                           

                          OT= Percentage area cover of other fauna category

      2.  Development Index (DI) was used to indicate the degree of coral reef 
           assemblage development and to provide the natural background of the reef with the  
           formula:

                                       DI = log 10 [(CR+DC+AL+OT)/AB]         

         Where,      CR= Percentage area cover of live coral category                        

                           DC= Percentage area cover of dead coral category                    

                           AL= Percentage area cover of algae category             

                           OT= Percentage area cover of other fauna category                          

                           AB= Percentage area cover of abiotic category (RB+SD)

        3. Succession Index (SI) was used to indicate the level of succession occurring 
            on the reef and also indicate the degree of reef recovery with the formula of

                                           SI= log 10 [OT/DC+AL)]          

          Where,   DC= Percentage area cover of dead coral category                         

                         AL= Percentage area cover of algae category                           

                         OT= Percentage area cover of other fauna category          

Results and Discussion:

Figure 1.0 Percentage abundance of coral 

Figure 2.0 Percentage of coral cover

Table 1.0 Condition index

Table 2.0 Development index

Table 3.0 Succession index

Figure 4.0 Coral index status

The Figure 1.0 show the percentage abundance of coral in the Kapas Island. The rubbles is the dominant with percentage of 33.77% followed by dead coral with algae (19.87%) and sand (13.25%). While the Figure 2.0 shows the percentage of coral cover where Acrophora brancing (AB) are with the highest percentage which is 63% followed by dead coral (DC) with value of 19%.

In addition, the Figure 4.0 shows the calculation for condition index (CI), Development index (DI) and Succession index (SI) in order to identify the status of the coral in the Kapas Island. By comparing with the semi-qualitative scale for an assessment of index scale by Idris et al, (2006). the value of CI is between -0.602 to -0.176 indicate that poor condition of the coral. Besides, the DI value is more than 0.602 means the coral reef is in very good development and the value for SI fall less than -0.602 indicate that very poor level of succession occurring on reef

Conclusion:

In the conclusion, the coral reef of Kapas Island is not in too good condition because most of the coral had became rubble maybe due to tourism activity such as snorkeling and also most of the coral had die and full with algae colonization. in order to protect this reef, activity that can make it condition became worst should be limit or prevent.