Keanekaragaman Megabentos yang Berasosiasi di Ekosistem Padang Lamun Perairan Wailiti, Maumere Kabupaten Sikka, Nusa Tenggara Timur

Seagrass beds in Wailiti Waters located on the coast of Maumere Bay, Sikka Regency, NTT, are one of the shallow marine ecosystems that have relatively high biodiversity. Seagrass meadow ecosystem as one of the coastal ecosystems in these waters has a diversity of marine life that is associated with it. Research conducted with this field description method shows the results of observations that found around four types of seagrass, namely: Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea rotundata, and Syringodium isoetifolium, scattered in 3 observation stations. The results of the analysis of the average% of seagrass closure were 47.085% with the category of seagrass conditions in the Wailiti waters of Sikka Regency under moderate density conditions. Associated marine biota in seagrass beds seen at the observation site include sea urchins, rivet sea cucumbers, king sea cucumber belts, bivalves kima, gastropods and sea snakes. Padang lamun di Perairan Wailiti yang berlokasi di pesisir Teluk Maumere Kabupaten Sikka, NTT, merupakan salah satu ekosistem laut dangkal yang mempunyai keanekaragaman hayati yang relative tinggi. Ekosistem padang lamun sebagai salah satu ekosistem pesisir di perairan tersebut mempunyai keanekaragaman biota laut yang hidup berasosiasi di dalamnya. Penelitian yang dilakukan dengan metode deskripsi lapangan ini menunjukan hasil pengamatan bahwa ditemukan sekitar empat jenis lamun, yaitu: Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea rotundata, dan Syringodium isoetifolium, tersebar di 3 stasiun pengamatan. Hasil analisa rata-rata % penutupan lamun sebesar 47,085% dengan kategori kondisi lamun di Perairan Wailiti Kabupaten Sikka dalam kondisi kerapatan sedang. Biota laut yang berasosiasi di padang lamun yang terlihat di lokasi pengamatan antara lain adalah bulu babi, teripang keling, teripang sabuk raja, bivalvia kima, gastropoda dan ular laut