HEALTH STATUS OF RECREATIONAL BEACHES IN ISKANDAR DEVELOPMENT REGION, JOHOR, MALAYSIA (Status Kesihatan Pantai-Pantai Rekreasi di Wilayah Pembangunan Iskandar, Johor, Malaysia)

This study aims to evaluate the health status of recreational beaches in Wilayah Iskandar development area Johor. The nematode/copepod ratio may be used as useful tool for assessing the environmental quality of the beaches. The meiobenthos samples were collected using a PVC corer at three stations at intertidal zone along beaches in Wilayah Iskandar. Four sampling sessions were conducted in March, April, May and June 2009 during low tide. Physico-chemical parameters including salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and temperature were measured in situ at each station using YSI multi probe MPS 556 and sediment samples were collected for chlorophyll a analysis. The chlorophyll-a concentrations were determined based on the spectrophotometric method using 665 nm wavelength. The ratio showed a wide variability between stations with highest values recorded at Station 3 (2.25 to 131.1) and lowest at Station 2 (0.99 to 15.53). The overall ratio of nematode/copepod could be related to the increase of potentially polluted area along the beaches such as at Station 3. The presence of pre-diapause copepod which is able to survive in the environment condition stress becomes a good indicator for the health status of beaches in Wilayah Iskandar development area.