| Summary: | Batuatas island surrounded by coral reefs need to be preserved for fish habitat. The high abundance of fish supported by good coral cover. Physicochemical conditions of water can increased stimulate the distribution of plankton and then followed increasing the population of fish and corals. This study aims to determine reef fish communities, the percentage of coral cover, and the physicochemical conditions in the Batuatas waters. The experiment was conducted in a closed zone and open zone of each of 4 stations. Reef research method using a linetransect (line intercept transect) along 30 meters of 3 replications and followed visual census the fish with 2.5 meter visibility and left to right. Transects placed parallel to the coastline at 3 meter container in a closed zone and 5 yards in the open zone. Aquatic physicochemical conditions include: temperature, flow velocity, the brightness of the water, salinity, CaCO3, nitrate, and phosphate each station. The results showed
diversity fish in the closed zone is lower than in the open zone. In the closed zone found 88 species and 13 species of fish consists of an indicator, 41 major species of fish and 34 species of fish targeted. In the open zone found 94 species and 14 species of fish consists of indicators, 41 major species of fish and 40 species of fish targeted. When the temperature decreases, phosphate, and CaCO3 will reduce the diversity of fish, while the increase in flow velocity and CaCO3 would increase the rate of coral growth in a closed zone. Increased flow rate and salinity will increase the diversity of fish, while the decrease in phosphate will decrease the diversity of fish in the open zone. CaCO3 would increase the rate of increase in coral growth, while decreasing the temperature will kill the coral in the open zone. Coral diversity in the closed zone is lower than in the open zone. In the closed zone is found 5 species of Acropora and 24 species of non-Acropora, whereas in the open zone encountered two Acropora species and 21 species of non-Acropora. The
percentage of coral cover in the closed zone (30.2%) higher than in the open zone (25.20%). From this study it can be concluded that the physicochemical conditions of sea water to support fish life and coral growth, both contained in a closed zone and in the open zone.
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