Publication Details

ECOLOGY OF BIVALVES IN THE LAGOON AREA OF SETIU WETLANDS, TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA

Study on ecology of bivalves in the lagoon area of Setiu Wetlands, Terengganu, South China Sea was conducted on two months interval for a year (July, September, November 2011 and January, March, May 2012). Bivalve samples and nvironmental parameters (in situ parameters and sediments) were collected from 11 stations within 50 m transect line along the lagoon. A total of 10, 845 individual of bivalves were collected and classified into 11 families, 21 genera and 34 species with mean total density of 33±17 individuals/m2 There was no significant temporal changes in abundance of bivalves and environmental parameter (p>0.05). The density of bivalves, in situ parameters (salinity and pH) and sediment analysis (total organic matter and sediment size) had significant difference among stations (p0.05). Density of bivalves was higher in the brackish subtidal area compared to freshwater subtidal and mangrove intertidal area. The abundance of bivalve’s species in the lagoon area of Setiu Wetlands is relatively high to the area covered. Salinity was the only parameter that strongly correlated with the diversity of bivalves in the lagoon area of Setiu Wetlands.