Eco. Env. & Cons. 28 (September Suppl. Issue) : 2022; pp.

(S104-S109)
Copyright@ EM International
ISSN 0971–765X
DOI No.: http://doi.org/10.53550/EEC.2022.v28i05s.019

Sequence analysis of seaweed farming in Hundihuk

Village, Rote-Ndao District
Donny Mercys Bessie1, Nina J. Lapinangga4, Umbu P. L. Dawa1, Wilson L. Tisera1, Imanuel J.
Emola1, Alfred G.O. Kase1, Hendrik Ndolu2, Jusuf Aboladaka3, and Zet Ena3

1
Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Artha Wacana Christian University, Kupang, Indonesia
2
Faculty of Law, Artha Wacana Christian University, Kupang, Indonesia
3
Faculty of Economics, Artha Wacana Christian University, Kupang, Indonesia
4
Kupang State Agricultural Polytechnic, Kupang, Indonesia

(Received 24 February, 2022; Accepted 3 April, 2022)

ABSTRACT
Rote Ndao is one of the regencies in East Nusa Tenggara Province that is designated as the Center for
Integrated Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. This area is expected to encourage economic growth in the
periphery with the main driving locomotive being the fisheries sector. Seaweed cultivation has developed
in Rote-Ndao District since a decade ago. The coastal area used for seaweed cultivation in this district in
2018 reached 1,718 ha (57.21%) of the potential area of 3,003 ha. Seaweed cultivation activities carried out
in this regency are generally still limited to water areas that are considered safe to try and provide benefits
that are considered quite good, even though the cultivation is technically inadequate or does not meet the
technical requirements of seaweed cultivation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the suitability of
the area of seaweed cultivation in Hundihuk Village. The data collection method used in this study is the
survey method. Analysis of space availability is based on the suitability of the waters that support seaweed
cultivation. The results showed that the analysis of the suitability of the waters of the village of Hundihuk
was included in the category of very appropriate with the value of 267.5, this meant that the development
of seaweed was still possible by taking into account the carrying capacity of the ecosystem.

Key words : Land Suitability, Seaweed, Cultivation, Hundihuk Village

Introduction grated Fisheries Marine Center (CMAF) due to the

large potential of fisheries that have not been man-
Rote Ndao is one of two districts (including East aged to the maximum, it is expected that the CMAF
Sumba Regency) in the Province of East Nusa Program encourages economic growth in the pe-
Tenggara (NTT), which has been designated as the riphery with the main driving locomotive is the fish-
Center for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (CMAF) eries sector. The results of the Location Quotient
since 2017 through the Decree of the Minister of (LQ) analysis for leading sectors in order to increase
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries No. KEPMEN-KP / the income and welfare of coastal communities, de-
51/2016, because it is a region of small islands and termined three leading commodities of Rote Ndao
border areas between countries (Australia and Regency, namely: seaweed, sea cucumbers, and
Timor Leste). The basis for establishing the Inte- snapper. This LQ analysis is a measure to determine
DONNY MERCYS BESSIE ET AL S105

the basis or non-base sectors in an area by compar- method of planting is one important factor in deter-
ing the economic sector at the lower level with the mining its success.
economy at the upper level (Ministry of Maritime
Affairs and Fisheries, 2017). Seaweed cultivation has Research Methods
developed in Rote-Ndao District since a decade ago.
The coastal area used for seaweed cultivation in this The data collection method in this study is a survey
district in 2018 reached 1,718 ha (57.21%) of the po- method, According to Singarimbun and Effendi
tential land area of seaweed cultivation of 3,003 ha. (1985). Data collected during this research activity
Where the planned expansion of cultivated land per include:
year / additional projections of seaweed production, a. Biophysical data related to seaweed cultivation,
among others: in 2015 amounted to 30 ha / 1,704 namely: physical parameters (current, tempera-
tons, in 2016 amounted to 45 ha / 1,704 tons, in 2017 ture, brightness, protection, depth, and substrate),
amounted to 60 ha / 3,408 tons, and in 2018 chemical parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, sa-
amounted to 5 ha / 4,260 tons (ENT Maritime Fish- linity, phosphate, nitrate, and DO), and biological
eries Service, 2014). Rote-Ndao Regency seaweed parameters (community algae macro and her-
production volume from year to year tends to in- bivorous animals).
crease, whereas at the district level in 2017 b. Data on the social, economic, and cultural condi-
amounted to 15,776 dry / ton. The large production tions of seaweed cultivating communities in Rote
volume is related to the increase in land area and the Ndao Regency, namely: age, number of family
amount of seaweed cultivation, wherein in 2017 members, education, income, length of stay,
there were 10,453 people with 1,073 business groups ethnicity, expenditure, and experience.
in Rote Ndao District (Rote Ndao in Figures 2018). c. Data on the following factors of production costs
The selection of a good location (water) and suitable used for seaweed cultivation during maintenance
for the development of seaweed culture in the con- and production and selling price of seaweed.
text of increasing production is important because it d. Supporting data as well as data on the general
is difficult to make certain treatment of the ecologi- condition of the study site.
cal conditions of the water that is always dynamic.
This is because seaweed growth is greatly influ- Results and Discussion
enced by water conditions. Seaweed cultivation will
experience a decrease in production if bio-ecologi- An Overview of Seaweed Cultivation in the Waters
cally and physically the waters that become culti- of Hundihuk Village and surrounding areas
vated land experience interference. Seaweed cultiva-
tion activities carried out in Rote Ndao Regency are Rote Ndao Regency is one of the regions in East
Nusa Tenggara Province which is designated as the
generally still limited to water areas that are consid-
ered safe to try and provide benefits that are consid- Integrated Marine and Fisheries Center. This deter-
ered quite good, even though the cultivation is tech- mination is supported by the existence of superior
commodities such as seaweed, tilapia, and catfish
nically inadequate or does not meet the technical
requirements of seaweed cultivation. The conse- for cultivation, Mokdale Fish Seed Center (FSC),
quence is that the seaweed cultivation is not opti- UPR, Pokdakan, and fishermen in the CMAF area.
The geographical location of Rote Ndao District is
mally cultivated, and the disruption the
sustainability of coastal area resources in the area. very supportive development of good aquaculture,
While the area of seaweed cultivation in Indonesia freshwater, and brackish aquaculture. Utilization for
seaweed cultivation is Kappahycus alvarezii. Marine
continues to increase from time to time, the territo-
rial waters of Rote Ndao Regency especially culture has the potential to be developed because it
Hundihuk Village are not well developed and even is supported by the potential of the coastal popula-
tion and the number of islands and the strait with
tend to be exploited. Therefore, it is necessary to
study the ecological aspects of the location of sea- protected waters from the waves. Seaweed farming
weed cultivation. This ecological aspect is very im- activities in the waters of the village of Hundihuk
and its surroundings have been started since 1999.
portant in efforts to develop seaweed cultivation
because it relates to the selection of cultivation sites, Most of the people who live around the island earn
as well as the species to be cultivated and the a living as fishermen and seaweed cultivators. The
S106 Eco. Env. & Cons. 28 (September Suppl. Issue) : 2022

cultivation site in the southern part of the island is tion IV (value 18 cm/sec) and high categories were
surrounded by mangrove forests with soft and at locations I and II (value 35 cm/sec). According to
slightly muddy substrates. The dominant type of Aslan (1995), a good current speed ranges from 20-
seaweed cultivated in Hundihuk Village and its sur- 40 cm/sec. The current velocity conditions in the
roundings is Kappahycus alvarezii or called Sakol. waters of Hundihuk Village, in general, are very
This type was chosen because the selling price is helpful in mixing nutrients from the bottom of the
relatively high, ranging between Rp. 20,000-22,000 water needed by seaweed in its growth.
per kg dry. Another type that is also cultivated but
Brightness
in small amounts is Eucheuma denticulatum, or what
is known by farmers as spinosum (in the service pro- The results of brightness measurements for eight
gram the AWCU team was also introduced to this weeks ranged between 3 - 15 meters, where the dif-
species from Oeseli Village, Rote Ndao Regency; ference in brightness is due to the time of measure-
Bessie, 2019). This type is less desirable because the ment occurring at different tide height conditions.
selling price is low, ranging from Rp. 6,000-7,500 per All locations have excellent (very appropriate)
kg dry (the advantage of this type is the production brightness values. At locations I-III the brightness
period is relatively short between 10-14 days com- can reach 100% where the penetration of sunlight
pared to 45 days of Sakol type).The cultivation can penetrate to the bottom of the water, while loca-
method used is the long line method and the basic tion IV with a muddy substrate and an area of man-
staple method. The basic peg method dominates the grove ecosystems so that the penetration of sunlight
cultivation activities in Hundihuk Village and its in some parts does not penetrate the bottom of the
surroundings, because according to the cultivators water. According to Aslan (1995), the ideal bright-
this method is easier to operate, is cheaper and stays ness for seaweed growth is more than one meter,
loose without extra maintenance, easy to tie anchors, thus the brightness of the waters during activities is
can put a lot of rope, especially in narrow locations, very qualified for seaweed growth.
and best production. The weakness of this method is
Salinity
susceptibility to ice-ice disease compared to the long
line method. Salinity affects the growth of seaweed, besides tem-
perature as the main factor. The range of salinity
Seaweed Farming Land Suitability Analysis
obtained during the observation was 29 - 35 ‰.
The choice of location is crucial to the success or fail- Bakosurtanal (2005), gives a weight for the salinity
ure of a seaweed cultivation business. To get the best of 10% of the total 13 parameters used. The detailed
results, seaweed cultivation should be chosen in ac- criteria are 28-36 ‰ for the very appropriate cat-
cordance with the requirements for growing sea- egory,> 20-28 ‰ for the appropriate, 20- <24 ‰ for
weed. Some hydro-ecological parameters that affect the conditional fit, and <20 ‰ for the inappropriate
the growth and development of seaweed are current category. When associated with seaweed growth,
speed, water brightness, salinity/salinity value, dis- increasing salinity greatly affects growth and can
solved oxygen (DO), nitrate, phosphate, water tem- cause seaweed to be susceptible to disease. This is
perature, pH value, water depth, protection, water supported by Bessie et al (2018), which state that
pollution, substrate, and natural algae/seaweed. seaweed is a marine algae that cannot tolerate high
salinity differences. At location I-III getting the opti-
Current
mum salinity value (35 ‰), this illustrates that the
According to Afrianto and Liviawati (1993), the fer- salinity value in the waters of Hundihuk Village is
tility of a cultivation location is determined by the very suitable for seaweed cultivation.
presence of the current movement. The current
DO
movement is the transport of nutrients needed for
seaweed growth. Current velocity is an important The results of measurement of dissolved oxygen
ecological factor in seaweed cultivation. Current content ranged from 5.3 to 7.4 mg / l. At all loca-
velocity measurements during observation were tions, the dissolved oxygen content has exceeded 4
only carried out on the surface and the measure- ppm. This dissolved oxygen content gives an idea
ment results ranged between 18-35 cm/sec where that all locations are very suitable for seaweed culti-
low-speed current categories were located at loca- vation. Dissolved oxygen in water can come from
DONNY MERCYS BESSIE ET AL S107

the process of diffusion from the air and results from Temperature
photosynthesis by phytoplankton and other aquatic
Water temperature greatly affects the life of biota in
plants. Dissolved oxygen is an important element
the waters. A good temperature for seaweed cultiva-
needed in the process of respiration and decompos-
tion ranges from 27 0C-30 0C (Anonymous, 2005).
ing organic matter by microorganisms. Dissolved
Based on observations for eight weeks, the tempera-
oxygen in the waters is the main substance for
ture range was between 30 0C-31 0C. This means that
aquatic life, especially fish, microorganisms, and
at the location of cultivation the temperature range
aquatic plants including seaweed. In the process of
is quite high. The highest temperature was obtained
metabolism, the growth and propagation of sea-
at location III i.e. 31 0C, while locations I, II, and IV
weed require oxygen. Oxygen is needed by all crea-
had the same value at 30 0C. A very high tempera-
tures that live in water such as fish, shrimp, shell-
ture range can cause growth to be less good and sus-
fish, and other animals including microorganisms
ceptible to disease. This is supported by Basalamah
such as bacteria and seaweed. Dissolved oxygen as
(2002), which states that an increase in temperature
a regulator of the body’s metabolism of organisms to
that exceeds the optimum limit can suppress growth
grow and multiply. Dissolved oxygen values lower
and can even cause the death of aquatic organisms.
than 4 mg /l can be indicated that the waters are
experiencing disturbances (lack of oxygen) due to pH
temperature rise during the day, and at night due to
According to Kadi and Atmaja (1988), the degree of
the respiration of aquatic organisms.
acidity (pH) that is good for the growth of seaweed
Nitrate species Eucheuma sp ranges from 7-9 with an opti-
mum range of 7.3 - 8.2. The pH value is influenced
Nitrate content in the study location ranged from
by several parameters, including biological activity,
0.087 to 0.530 mg/l, where the value is still included
temperature, oxygen content, and ions. Every ma-
in the category that is very suitable for all sampling
rine organism requires certain pH conditions for its
locations in the waters of Hundihuk Village, with
survival, seaweed is no exception. The results of pH
this value very possible to do seaweed cultivation.
measurements show that the pH value is in the
Nitrates in sea waters are micronutrient compounds
range of 6.8-8.0. The lowest value at location IV (pH
controlling primary productivity in the surface layer
value 6.8) towards acid it is categorized as not suit-
of euphotic regions. Nitrate levels in the euphotic
able for seaweed cultivation. While location I-III has
region are strongly influenced by nitrate transport,
a pH value in the normal category, where the water
ammonia oxidation by microorganisms, and nitrate
quality standard for categorized seaweed cultiva-
uptake for primary production processes. Nitrate is
tion is very appropriate.
the main form of nitrogen in natural waters and is
The results of the analysis of hydro-ecological pa-
the main nutrient for plant growth and algae. Good
rameters in the waters of Hundihuk Village and its
waters for seaweed growth must contain enough
surroundings are shown in Table 2.
nutrients, both macro, and micro. Bessie, et al. (2018),
The process of determining area suitability was
stated that nitrate content can be very influential and
done by comparing the prerequisite parameters
can classify the level of fertility of waters.
with the measured water conditions. Based on the
Phosphate results of the analysis of the suitability of the waters
for seaweed cultivation in each suitability category,
A Phosphates is a form of phosphorus that can be
in general, the area suitability category in Hundihuk
utilized by plants and is an essential element for
Village is in the category of very appropriate to the
higher plants and algae, so this element becomes a
value at the location I was 300 with an area suitable
limiting factor for plants and aquatic algae and
for seaweed cultivation of 10 ha, location II was 290
greatly affects aquatic productivity. Phosphate con-
with an area suitable for seaweed cultivation of 50
tent during the study ranged from 0.250 to 0.300 mg
ha, and location III was 280 with an area suitable for
/l, the phosphate content of the sampling area
seaweed cultivation of 20 ha, and there is only 1 lo-
included fertility levels between moderate to high
cation with a quite appropriate category namely lo-
fertility levels and included in the category of very
cation IV with a value of 200 with an area suitable
suitable for seaweed cultivation.
for seaweed cultivation of 2 ha. The results of this
S108 Eco. Env. & Cons. 28 (September Suppl. Issue) : 2022

Table 2. Conformity Matrix of Seaweed Cultivation in Hundihuk Village Waters

Parameters unit Suitability Suitability Suitability Suitability
(Location I) (Location II) (Location III) (Location IV)
observation/ observation/ Value Value Value Value Value Value
analysis analysis
Current m/detik 35 30 33 30 35 30 18 20
Brightness meter 15 30 12 30 10 30 3 20
Salinity % 35 30 35 30 35 30 29 20
DO mg/1 7.0 30 7.1 30 7.4 30 5.3 30
Nitrate mg/1 0.095 30 0.087 30 0.300 30 0.530 30
Phosphate mg/1 0.250 30 0.300 30 0.290 30 0.287 30
0
Temperature C 30 30 30 30 31 30 30 30
pH 7.9 15 8 15 7.7 15 6.8 10
Dept Meter 5 15 8 15 5 15 5 15
Protection Protection 15 Protection 15 Somewhat 10 Protection 15
Protection
Pollution non 15 non 15 non 15 non 15
Substrateh sand 15 sand 15 Sandy muddy 10 Sandy muddy 10
Algae Lots 15 enough 10 little 5 little 5
300 290 280 200
The Total Value Very high Suitability Very high Suitability Very high Suitability Enough Suitability
Suitability
Source: Primary data processed, 2019.

analysis show that the waters of Hundihuk Village Conclusion

and its surrounding areas are very feasible for sea-
weed cultivation activities, but still, pay attention to The conclusion of this research is the suitability
the carrying capacity of the region in an effort to analysis of waters in the Hundihuk Village in the
develop sustainable seaweed and also for optimal category of very suitable with the value of 267.5, this
production results. A very suitable area (S1) is char- means that the development of seaweed is still pos-
acterized by not having serious barriers (inhibitors) sible by taking into account the carrying capacity of
to determine the treatment given or only having bar- the ecosystem.
riers that are not significant or significantly affect Based on the results of this study, it is recom-
their use and will not increase the input/level of mended that further studies be needed regarding
treatment given. Some limiting factors in this area land suitability in all areas of the Integrated Marine
that are natural and apply to almost all seaweed and Fisheries Centers in Rote Ndao District.
cultivation areas include: (i) the location is on land
that has current and wave movement conditions References
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