Development and succession of macrofouling organisms on artificial structure in the shallow coastal waters of Sabah, Malaysia
This study investigates macrofouling development on PVC panels materials deployed in Karambunai, Sabah. The experimental setup includes two sets of connected PVC pipe, frame in triangle shape attached to concrete blocks deployed at seafloor and kept afloat vertically underwater. The first set (upper...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2022
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/41513/1/24%20PAGES.pdf https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/41513/2/FULLTEXT.pdf |
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| Summary: | This study investigates macrofouling development on PVC panels materials deployed in Karambunai, Sabah. The experimental setup includes two sets of connected PVC pipe, frame in triangle shape attached to concrete blocks deployed at seafloor and kept afloat vertically underwater. The first set (upper) of frame positioned 2 m from water surface whereas the second set (bottom) attached 8 m below it. Total of 36 experimental PVC plates measuring 20 cm x 27 cm were tied on each three sides of the two different sets of frames. To investigate monthly macrofouling development, three panels were taken from each side of the two different frames. Pyhsico-chemical parameters of seawater such as sea water temperature, salinity, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, depth, current speed, direction and light attenuation was also taken, along with water sample for water nutrient analyses such as nitrate, ammonia-nitrogen and total dissolved phosphate. These steps were done every 30 days, throughout 180 days of experiment, from April to September 2017. As a result, a total of 13 different species of sessile and motile macrofouling were found on the front side and the back side of the plates at 2 m and 8 m. For sessile species, in the first 90 days, Lyngbya sp. (algae) was the most abundant sessile species with percentage cover range from 70% to 90%. However, after 90 days, Eudendrium sp. (hydroid) (nearly 80%) and Amphibalanus amphirite (barnacles) (nearly 50%) replaced hydroid as the most dominant species. Based on three way-ANOVA on influenced of depths, submersion time and position, with the percentage cover of the sessile species, the calculations showed that these sessile species percentage covers were influenced significantly (P<0.05) by submersion time, depth and interaction between time and depth. As for motile macrofouling species, three species were identified as the dominant species which were Perinereis sp. (flatworm), Etisus dentatus (crab) and fish larvae from family Blenniidae. Based on two way-ANOVA on influenced of depths and submersion time, with the number of individuals of the dominant species, the calculations showed that these dominant species percentage covers were influenced significantly (P<0.05) by submersion time and depth. Through CCA analyses, these dominant macrofouling assemblages’s number were influenced by pH, temperature, Kd, average rainfall distribution, current speed and submersion time. Although this experiment was cut short into six months, the research did give enough indication on the process of colonization and succession on macrofouling community that happened on the artificial structure. For future work recommendation, it is best to proceed the study by installing more artificial structures at more locations, to see a more elaborated succession and colonization process. |
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