Profile of Pangpang Bay (Banyuwangi, Indonesia) based on water, sediment type, and macrobenthic diversity

Pangpang Bay is a wetland with mangrove forests, covering an area of more than 3,000 ha, which has been designated as an Indonesian Essential Ecological Area to maintain its high floral and faunal diversity. However, land-use changes and anthropogenic pressure from surrounding areas have caused changes in its biodiversity and community structures, including those of macrobenthic fauna. This study was conducted to determine the current environmental characteristics of Pangpang Bay and their influence on indicator organisms, such as macrobenthos. Eight stations were selected based on their geographical locations, macrobenthic fauna, physicochemical parameters, heavy metal concentrations, and sediment types to represent the entire Pangpang Bay. Results revealed that Pangpang Bay was strongly influenced by the sea. There were no significant differences among the sediment characteristics at all stations, which were all mud. Polychaetes were dominant at stations with muddy characteristics. Furthermore, the physicochemical parameters of water affected macrobenthic diversity and dominance. In contrast, the concentrations of heavy metals, such as Pb, Cu, Cd, and Fe were below the threshold values at all stations. Therefore, they did not affect macrobenthic diversity.