Abstract

The present paper describes the soft-bottom macrozoobenthic community structure inhabiting Lembeh Island's waters (North Sulawesi). Material for the study was collected from 5 stations in October 2013 using a La Motte grab (600 cm2) and subsequently sieved through a 1 mm square mesh sieve. A total of 1147 individuals belonging to 78 species (taxa) of macrozoobenthos and representative of higher taxonomic groups belonging to 12 phyla were recorded and identified. Univariate analysis showed low abundance of individuals and number of species in the Pintu Kota station which has a black sludge of sediment but Shannon index values at this station is the highest. Instead Motto station relatively far from anthropogenic disturbance showed a high abundance of individuals and number of species but Shannon index values at this station is the lowest. The station is dominated by Tanais sp at a density of 9533 individuals m-2. Shannon index is less sensitive to measure the effect of anthropogenic disturbances compared with the abundance of individuals and number of species. The multivariate analysis (Cluster Analysis and Correspondence Analysis) managed to separate the three groups (essemblage) makrozoobethos: Group A (Posokan), Group B (Motto) and Group C (Pancoran, Mawali and Pintu Kota). Abiotic factors such as granulometri, physicochemical, hydrodynamics and anthropogenic factors believed to be the factors controlling the formation of the ecological group.