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Terumbu Karang

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Terumbu Karang
Terumbu karang dan Karang
Dr. Mufti Petala Patria

Terumbu karang, mengingatkan kita pada keindahan kehidupan di perairan pantai tropis, yang tersusun atas berbagai hewan dan tumbuhan dengan warna, bentuk dan ukuran yang bervariasi. Organisme yang dapat kita temukan di terumbu karang antara lain; Pisces (berbagai jenis ikan), Crustacea (udang, kepiting), Moluska (kerang, keong, cumi-cumi, gurita), Echinodermata (bulu babi, bintang laut, timun laut, lili laut, bintang mengular), Polychaeta (cacing laut), Sponge, Makroalga (Sargasum, Padina, Halimeda) dan terutama hewan karang (Anthozoa). Begitu banyak jenis organisme yang hidup di sana sehingga terumbu karang adalah salah satu ekosistem di permukaan bumi ini yang memiliki keanekaragaman jenis yang tinggi. Tingginya keanekaragaman jenis di terumbu karang karena tingginya produktivitas primer di daerah tersebut, yaitu dapat mencapai10.000 gr C/m2/yr, bila dibandingkan dengan produktivitas laut lepas hanya berkisar 50100 gr C/m2/yr. Hewan karang atau reef corals (Anthozoa) merupakan penyusun utama terumbu karang (coral reefs), karena mampu membuat "bangunan" dari pengendapan kalsium karbonat (CaCO3). Tidak semua anggota Kelas Anthozoa (Filum Cnidaria) dapat membentuk terumbu, hanya dari kelompok hermatypic coral (ordo Scleractinia), sedangkan yang tidak membentuk karang disebut ahermatypic coral (misalnya: anemon, soft coral, akar bahar). Kelompok hermatypic coral tersebut hidupnya bersimbiosis dengan alga bersel satu zooxanthellae (Symb iodinium microadriaticum) yang berada pada sel di lapisan endodermis. Hasil samping dari proses fotosintesa zooxanthellae adalah endapan kalsium karbonat yang menjadi berbagai bentuk dan struktur yang khas tergantung dari jenis inang (host) hewan karang. Semakin maksimal proses fotosintesa zooxanthellae, maka semakin maksimal pula kalsium karbonat yang dapat diendapkan, berarti semakin cepat proses pertumbuhan hewan karang.

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Berdasarkan proses terbentuknya (geomorfologi)

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