Nutrients concentrations and seagrass cover in Ambong Bay and Usukan Bay of Kota Belud, Sabah

• Main Author: Nurulafizah Mohd Ali
• Format: Academic Exercise
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: QK Botany
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/19580/1/Nutrients%20concentrations%20and%20seagrass%20cover%20.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/19580/

This study was conducted in 10 stations of two bays, namely Ambong Bay and Usukan Bay of Kota Belud, Sabah from November 2013 until March 2014.The stations were selected randomly to represents the both bays. Objectives of this study were 1) to determine the nutrients (ammonia-N, nitrite-N, nitrate-N, phosphate-P) concentration in the Ambong Bay, Usukan Bay and to compare with the Marine Water Quality Criteria and Interim Standard for Malaysia (IMWQS), 2) to measure and to compare seagrass cover in the six stations of two bays and 3) to evaluate the relationships of nutrients concentration and seagrass cover in the six stations at the two bays. The nutrient analysis (NOrN, N02-N, P04-P, and NH3-N) were done by using colorimetric and Spectrophotometeric method. Quadrat of 0.25m2 was used and dropped three times ramdomly for evaluating the percentage cover of seagrass. All the seagrass in the quadrat was recorded by using class dominance. Based on the T-test analysis, the results showed that the means concentrations in both bays were significant different (p<0.05) for ammonia and phosphate concentrations. However, the means concentrations for nitrite and nitrate for both Ambong Bay and Usukan Bay did not show any significant different (p>0.05). The mean concentrations of ammonia and nitrite for both bays are lower than the standard value of IMWQS. In the other hand, the mean concentrations for phosphate and nitrate for both bays are higher than the standard value of IMWQS. The results also showed that the concentrations of ammonia had significant (R2= 0.9839, p<0.05) vert strong relationship with the seagrass cover. The concentration of phosphate (R2=0.267), nitrite (R2=0.4382) and nitrate (R2=0.6135) of the six stations are also strong but not as strong as phosphate. Based on the observation, nutrients source in Usukan Bay was from Abai River, and the main source of nutrients for Ambong Bay was from the aquaculture activity. Therefore, the area should be given oversight for this issue. Sources of pollution should be identified so that the precaution steps can be made to ensure the protection to this area.