Suitability of Ecotourism and Carrying Capacity in Kapoposang Archipelago Marine Conservation Area

This study aims to analyze the suitability of tourism and carrying capacity in the Kapoposang Archipelago Conservation Area and its surrounding waters in Pangkep Regency.It was conducted over a period of two months, from January to February 2024.Primary data collection was carried out through field observations, including coral cover data acquisition using the Underwater Photo Transect (UPT) method.Coral fish species data were collected using direct counting techniques with the Underwater Visual Census (UVC) method.Interviews were conducted with respondents from government agencies, local communities, fishermen, and visitors.Respondents were selected using accidental sampling in accordance with the research objectives.Secondary data encompassed all supporting information related to the study.Data analysis in this research was performed through several stages, including the analysis of the tourism suitability index (TSI), the adaptive capacity of coral reef ecosystems, physical carrying capacity (PCC), and real carrying capacity (RCC).The results of the analysis indicate that 7 stations fall within the 'Suitable (S2)' category, while 2 stations, namely Station 5 and Station 14, fall within the 'Highly Suitable (S1)' category.According to the PCC analysis, the maximum capacity of divers per day at these locations is 2,194 divers per day and 800,810 divers per year.Meanwhile, the RCC analysis shows a range of 941 divers per day and 302,042 divers per year, with the highest diving point being Station 10 and the lowest being Station 8.