The presence of macrobenthos community in replanted mangrove area in Tumpat

Abstract

Studies on the presence of macrobenthos community m the replanted area have successfully been conducted and done in Tumpat, Kelantan on October 2007. The main objectives in this study are to determine the presence of macrobenthos in replanted mangrove area at different ages and also to compare the presence of macrobenthos in replanted mangrove area at different ages in Tumpat. A total of 358 individual of macrobenthos have been collected from five stations which are natural mangrove, mudflat, 0 year, 3 years and 6 years. Four groups of macrobenthos have been found where gastropods and annelids (polychaetes) were the most abundant in that area followed by sipunculids and crustaceans. Station natural mangrove showed the highest value of diversity (H') with 1.037. Station 6 years showed the highest value in richness (D) and evenness (J') with 1.115 and 0.933. Some environmental factors and the sediment characteristic might affect the distribution and the abundance of macrobenthos community in mangrove area in Tumpat, Kelantan