Analisis Kelimpahan Mikroalga Epifit Pada Lamun Enhaus acoroides Berdasarkan gradien jarak Di Pulau Sagara Kabupaten Pangkep sulawesi Selatan

Microalgae epiphytic are marine biota that can be found attached to seagrasses starting from the roots, stems and leaves. This organism plays a crucial role in aquatic productivity and are natural food for higher aquatic biota, namely zooplankton, molluscs and various types of fish or organisms in seagrass beds. The existence of epiphytic microalgae in seagrass meadows are influenced by many factors, such as nutrient availability, distances from the beach and many others. This research aims to analyse the composition and abundance of microalgae epiphytic in seagrass Enhalus acoroides found in different stations and distances from the beach of Sagara island, Pangkep Regency, and was conducted in July-December 2022.. Seagrass sampling was carried out using a purposive sampling method by considering the distance from the beach (0m, 100m and 200m) and presence of seagrass. The abundance of epiphytes was counted by scraping the epiphytes attached to seagrass leaves and observing them under a microscope. Results showed 19 genera of microalgae epiphytic consisting of 4 divisions. Their diversity was moderate, with high uniformity, and low dominance. In addition, the abundance found was varied. It showed that sampling close to (0m) and farther from the beach (200m) had a relatively lower abundance compared to 100m distance sampling location. This may be due to anthropogenic factors at the beach (0m) and relatively high hyrodynamic factor farther from the beach (300m).