DISTRIBUTION OF SEAGRASSES IN INNER AMBON BAY

Excessive sedimentation in Inner Ambon Bay ( IAB ) is alleged to cause the degradation of seagrass ve - getation in the area. To get a clearer picture about the matter, we conducted a field study in October 2010 - January 2011to describe the distribution and density of seagrass at several locations in IAB with different conditions of sedimentation levels . Data were collected using transects perpendicular to the coastline along the seagrass vegetation. The results show ed that there we re six species of seagrasswhichwere spread ed unevenly. At the locations with high sedimentation , we found theformation of monospecies seagrass vegetation. Conversely, at the location swith low sedimentation, we found the formation of multispecies seagrass vegetation. The distribution and abundance of each species was related to the differences of seagrasses ability to grow in a certain environment and the compe - titiveness among them .  Keywords : sedimentation, distribution, seagrass, Inner Ambon Bay