Loss of Coral Reefs due to Ship Grounding in Indonesian Water: Case Study on Karimun Jawa National Park (TNKj)

Abstract

A ship grounding on coral reefs can cause severe physical and biological damage, including coral dislodgement and removal, skeleton destruction, sediment erosion, and loss of three-dimensional complexity. The event of a ship grounding in Karimunjawa National Park caused live coral degradation of 100% and massive damage to foliose and branched coral. The total loss of hard coral biodiversity reached 261,274 colonies in an area of ±2687.87 square meters. This destruction has reduced the biodiversity of coral reefs, necessitating urgent conservation and restoration efforts in the affected area. The specific data provided, such as variations in population and density, helps provide a comprehensive understanding of the ecological damage caused by the ship grounding.