Potential Fishing Grounds for Large Pelagic Fish during the Eastern and Transitional Seasons in Pangandaran Waters, West Java, Indonesia

Pangandaran is one of the fish landing centers in West Java, Indonesia. Migration, distribution, and abundance of pelagic fish are influenced by several oceanographic parameters such as sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration. This study was conducted to map the fishing grounds of large pelagic fish in Pangandaran Sea during the eastern and transitional seasons. Knowing the potential fishing ground in Pangandaran is very important to increase the catch of fishermen and maintain the sustainability of fisheries resources. In this study, a quantitative descriptive research method was used using a geographic information system approach. In May 2024 (transitional season 1), the average chlorophyll-a concentration ranged from 0.2 - 8 mg/m3 (mesotrophic waters) with average Sea Surface Temperature (SST) ranging from 26.13 - 29.38° C. In the eastern season (June, July, August) the average chlorophyll-a concentration was 0.2 - 2.3 mg/m3 (oligotrophic waters); 0.4 - 4.4 mg/m3 (mesotrophic waters); 11 - 33 mg/m3 (hypertrophic waters) with average sea surface temperature (SST) ranging from 28.4 - 36.5 °C; 26.6 - 32.24 °C; 23.5 – 32 °C. In September 2025 (transitional season 2), the average chlorophyll-a concentration was 1 - 18 mg/m3 (eutrophic waters), with average sea surface temperature (SST) ranging from 24.9 - 34.5 °C. The highest potential of large pelagic fish was found in June, July, and August 2024 (east season) in catch line 2. The potential catch of large pelagic fish in transitional season 1 (May 2024) was lower than in the east season, but the catch line was still in catch line 2. While in transitional season 2 (September 2024) the potential catch of large pelagic fish was lower than the east season and the catch line was outside catch line 2 (towards the open sea).