Biodiversity Support and Ecotourism for Local Economic Development of Margasari Village – East Lampung District - Indonesia

Mangrove is known to be a greenbelt of the coast with its function not only for the physical and chemical processes along the coast line affected by sea-and fresh- water current but also functioning as habitat for many animals, including migratory birds. Mangrove in Margasari village or Lampung Mangrove Center (LMC) is dominated by Avicennia marina with density of 333 trees/ha, followed by Rhizophora mucronata with density of 467 trees/ha. Coastline of Lampung Province attracts for birds to migrate from asia to australia and vice versa. About 38 species of birds was found during field observation made on February – June 2018. Some of the birds found was considered to be endangered like a Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris), some was threatened like Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) and Chinnesse Egret (Egretta eulophotes). Not only birds, mangrove also provides some habitat for many different communities, such fishes, moluscs, crabs, and else in which they can be part of the ecotourism. Generating activities related to mangrove ecotourism provides economic for the locals such as, canoeing, fishing, seedling and culinary. Renting canoes by fishermen might help to generate some income (one canoe is rented for 200.000 rupiah/day). Fishing, for special tourism, in the mangrove which predominantly habitat for mud catfish is promising to generate some local income. Seedling of red mangrove (Rhizophora sp), can be introduced as part of eco- edutourism. Culinary is the most promising acts also to generate local economics, seafood and some other mangrove products can support the mangrove (LMC) ecotourism.