Structure and Dominance of Macrozoobenthos as Biomonitoring Instrument in the Reuleng River, Leupung, Aceh Besar, Indonesia

Abstract

The Reuleng River is a mangrove area located in Aceh Besar district. Environmental changes that occur in the structure and composition of the mangrove ecosystem in the Reuleng River affect the macrozoobenthos conditions in the area. This study aims to determine the structure of the makrozoobenthos community as a biomomonitoring instrument in the mangrove ecosystem area. The study was conducted from February 2021 to May 2021. Determination of the sampling location was carried out using the purposive sampling technique and sampling was determined in three areas, namely upstream, middle stream, and downstream. The results showed that there were 19 species grouped into 4 genera and 12 families. The Macrozoobenthos Diversity Index in the Reuleng River area ranges from 2.62. The species that dominate the mangrove ecosystem area is the Faunus ater species with a dominant index value (0.16) and the lowest dominant species in the mangrove ecosystem is Thalassina anomala (0.01). No specific species were found that dominate the area. Based on descriptive observations, there is a group of Makrozoobenthos that has a relationship with the psychochemical quality of the air. The results show that the balance of the community in the area is still vulnerable and experiencing the impact of environmental pressures. Keywords: Structure, dominant, macrozoobenthos, biomonitoring, reuleng river, Leupung