Mangrove Forestry and Fish Skeleton Long Storage Structure as

Integrated Approach in Coastal Protection against Sea Level Rise

(Case Study in Mbay Lowland Rice Field, Nagekeo Regency, NTT Province, Indonesia)

Baki Henong
1
and Susilawati
2

1
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
Widya Mandira Chatolic University
KUPANG 85225, NTT
INDONESIA
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
Widya Mandira Chatolic University
KUPANG 85225, NTT
INDONESIA
E-mail: srsusipi@yahoo.com


Abstract: Mbay city has a unique area that consists of three parts: hilly, urban plain and rice field
plain. The urban and rice field plains that make a delta plain are highly influenced by tidal sea
fluctuation. Due to fishery development, people cut several mangroves which causes intrusion of
seawater to the rice field plain and reduces the harvest of paddy crop. It is very important to take the
option to develop mangrove forest again to prevent sea water intrusion and tidal sea wave. To
implement this idea, the researchers try to develop the so-called fish skeleton long storage structure to
control the tidal waves that intrude the paddy fields. This structure consists of long storage canals
and some water brackish ponds for brackish fish cultivation. The option of mangrove forest
development and fish skeleton long storage structure can be an integrated approach in coastal
protection against sea level rise which has a negative impact on the development of delta paddy fields
in Mbay city.

Keywords: mangrove forestry, fish skeleton long storage structure, integrated approach, sea level
rise, tidal waves
1. INTRODUCTION
In relation to the development of Mbay as the capital city of Nagekeo regency which therefore
functions as the center for administration, trade and services, both on the local scale and on the
regional scale, Mbay will become one of the strategic cities which from economic point of view
conditions an incremental mobility of goods and services from and to the city. Consequently Mbay city
plays the role of pushing the economic growth in Nagekeo regency.

Besides physical conditions, demographic factor also plays an important role in the development of
Mbay city. Mbay's population increase will trigger a greater the need for land as a place for settlement
and activities in urban area. As a result, much land that has been planted with trees is now cleared to
fulfill the necessities of the urban people.

For future urban design and management, if it is not controlled according to the already drawn urban
planning, it will certainly cause some serious urban problems such as traffic jam, slum area, flood, and
coastal abrasion in the settlement area as well as in Mbay's agricultural area.

The massive mangrove deforestation in Mbay up to this time is a serious problem because it will have
a directly negative impact on urban living socially, economically and culturally. The main reason for the
cutting down of mangroves is to look for areas for fish breeding. If this is tolerated, in the long run it will
cause flood and the rise of tidal seawater because there is no protecting coastal vegetation. Another
impact of mangrove deforestation is the intrusion of salt water into the rice-fields that decreases the
harvest and, consequently, the farmers' income.

Considering the importance of coastal area preservation, it is necessary to conduct a research on this
matter in order to find a correct solution. The research is titled MANGROVE FORESTRY AND FISH
SKELETON LONG STORAGE STRUCTURE AS AN INTEGRATED APPROACH IN COASTAL
PROTECTION AGAINST SEA LEVEL RISE (Case Study in Mbay Lowland Rice Field, Nagakeo
Regency, NTT Province, Indonesia)
2. MANGROVE FORESTRY AS A COASTAL PROTECTION
2.1. Mangrove Forest
The Law No 41 of the year 1999 is concerned with the problem of forestry. Forest is an ecosystem unit
in the form of plains that contain biological resources dominated by trees that are united with their
natural environment, where the one cannot be separated from the other. Mangrove is a forest
vegetation that grows on the sea tidal line as well as on rocky coast and dead coral already covered
with layers of sand and mud.

According to Nybakken (1982), mangrove forest or mangal is a common terminology used to describe
a variety of tropical community of vegetations consisting mainly of specific trees and shrubs that can
grow in salt water. Mangrove is actually an offshore blooming plant that grows on the coastal line.
Mangrove forest has three main functions for natural conservation, namely:
1. Physical function. Mangrove forest conserves and stabilizes the coastal line and river banks,
protects the coast against the crashing of waves and currents, and accelerates the formation of
new land
2. Biological function. Mangrove forest functions as a nursery ground, feeding ground and
spawning ground for various crustaceae, fish, birds, reptiles and snakes. It also becomes a
habitat for epiphytes and parasites such as orchids, ferns and other plants. It produces fertile
soil layer more than that is produced by tropical land forest. The chemical elements contained
in the soil are nitrogen, magnesium, natrium, calcium, phosphor and sulfur.
3. Economic function. Mangrove forest can be a place for recreation, fish pond, and raw materials
for industry.
2.2. Characteristics of Mangrove Dissemination
Mangrove is a forest vegetation that grows on the tidal line between the land and the sea. Mangrove
forest can live on rocky coast or coral rocks covered by a thin layer of sand or sand mixed with mud. It
grows on coastal area which is continuously and intermittently inundated by seawater that comes and
goes in high and low tides. The ground itself consists of mud and sand.

Mangrove vegetation can be either trees with a height of 35 meters or shrubs. During low tides the
roots can be seen. The formation of roots is very typical. The mangrove grows in shallow waters with
short roots that widely spread out with supporting tubers or radical shoots that appear from the trunk
and branches. The above-ground roots grows long and is called pneumatofor. It appears above
substrate layer that enables it to get oxygen from anoxic mud upon which the trees grow.

Some varieties of mangrove that grow in oceanic waters have specific features of seed development
and dissemination. When the seed is still on the mother plant, it germinates and grows in the fruitshell
ceaselessly until the sprout reaches a certain weight on the outer part that makes it come off from the
stem.

In relation to the land and sea ecosystem the mangroves serve as production forest and sea wind
breaker that prevents the spread of malaria mosquitoes, filters marine pollution and protects the coast
against abrasion. In relation to oceanic ecosystem the mangrove forest has the role of preserving the
fertility of coastal waters that become shelter, feeding ground and spawning ground for the fish.

The community of mangrove forest is a typical vegetation of tidal area with a complex ecosystem. It
functions as the buffer zone for other vital areas along the coast line. In tropical and subtropical areas
the mangrove forest plays an important role to decrease coastal erosion and to preserve hydrological
network of canals and gullies. As such it protects and conserves the two ecosystems.
2.3. The role of mangrove ecosystem
The mangrove ecosystem belongs to coastal resources. It is a natural and renewable resource that
must be preserved to support the development programs and that can be exploited with the best
conservation methods. Mangrove resources have physical, chemical and biological roles that help to
support the fulfillment of human necessities and serve as the buffer zone for coastal ecosystem
balance. In details it serves as

a. Coastal protection and buffer
Mangrove has a typical radical system that consists of above-ground roots, pneumator and
and knee root that inhibit water currents and waves. By weakening the strength of currents
and waves, the coast line is protected from abrasion. And by the weakening of currents and
waves the mud mass brought by water becomes sediments and gets trapped in the mangrove
roots that makes the coastline move seaward. As a barrier that prevents tsunami waves, the
coastal buffer that consists of mangrove communities is recommended beside other
integrated methods. Thick mangrove leaves inhibit the sea wind so that the area beyond the
mangroves is protected from damages caused by fast blowing sea wind. On the whole it will
influence the macro climate of the region.

b. Producer of organic substance

The mangrove forest is the main link of food network in mangrove ecosystem. The water life
usually begins with phytoplankton as the lowest food chain. But for mangrove forest area it is
quite different because the concentration of phytoplankton is smaller than that of oceanic
waters. This is because phytoplankton is already substituted by the leaves of coastal trees
especially those of mangroves.

c. Habitat for mangrove faunas
Mangrove forest serves as feeding ground, shelter and spawning ground for various water
animals such as fish and shrimp as well as other water organisms. It is a also a breeding
habitat for a variety of land animals such as seabirds and bats.
Commercial fish that use the mangrove forest as shelter are white kakap (lates calcarifer),
milk fish (Chanos chanos), belanak (mugil sp), long shrimp (penaeus monodon fabricus),
white shrimp (penaeus merguensis), large prawn (macrobrachium rosenbergii) and crab
(Scylla serrata).


d. Source of industry materials and drugs
Mangrove forest is very important for people whose living depends on this natural resources.
They use mangrove as resource for building materials, firewood, charcoal, and raw materials
for paper and glue. Mangrove timber is can be used for house pillars and other house
furnitures. With the development of technology mangrove wood can also be raw material for
paper and artificial timber. The trend of 'back to nature' has resulted in the fact that mangrove
is used to make medicines for certain diseases.
2.4. Functions and benefits of mangrove
Related to mangrove forest potential, there are some functions and benefits, direct and indirect, for the
people and their environment.

a. Physical functions
1. Keeping secure coastal line
2. Protecting the coast and river banks from erosion and abrasion.
3. Decreasing and restraining the fast blowing sea wind that moves landward
4. Periodically holding back sediments that gradually form new land.
5. Restraining tsunami waves
6. Filtering the seawater in the intrusion process to be freshwater
b. Chemical functions
1. Place for recycling process that absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen
2. Processor of polluting industrial and ship wastes.
c. Biological functions
1. Producer of decayed substance that become food for small invertebrates that in turn will
become sustenance for bigger animals.
2. Spawning ground and nursery ground for shrimp, fish, crab, mollusks which move offshore
after adulthood.
3. Shelter and breeding habitat for birds and other animals.
4. Resource for protoplasm and genetics.
5. Natural habitat for various land and sea biotas.
d. Socio-economic functions
1. Producer of firewood and raw material for industries, medicines, furniture, cosmetics, food,
textile, glue and tanner .
2. Provider of seeds of fish, shrimp, mollusks, crab, and a place where one can find bird eggs
and honey.
3. Tourism destination and zone for conservation, education and research.
2.5. Mangrove Ecosystem Damage
According to the data from FAO (2007) as quoted in Syakur (2009) the width of mangrove forest in
Indonesia in the year 2005 was 3,062,300 hectares or 19 % of the whole mangrove forest worldwide.
This was bigger than that of Australia (10 %) and Brazil (7 %). But it is estimated that the width of
mangrove forest in Indonesia has decreased as much as 120,000 hectares from 1985 through 2005
because of its alteration into agricultural area. Data from Indonesian Ministry of Environment (2008)
that referred to the data from Directorate General of Land and Social Forestry Rehabilitation of the
Ministry of Forestry (2000), the potential width of mangrove forest in Indonesia is 9,204,840.32
hectares consisting of 2,548,209.42 hectares of good condition, slightly damaged as much as
4,510,456.61 hectares, and damaged as much as 2,146,174.29 hectares. According to 2006 data
from 15 provinces collected by Agency for River Basin Management, Directorate General of RLPS of
Forestry Ministry, mangrove forest in Indonesia reaches the width of 4,390,756.46 hectares. While the
Minister of Marine Affairs and Fishery, Fadel Muhammad revealed that the damaged mangrove forest
in Indonesia has reached 70 % of the total potential mangrove forest that has the breadth of 9.36
million hectares. This 70 % of damaged mangrove forest consists of 48 % of heavily damaged (4.51
million hectares) and 22 % of slightly damaged (2.15 million hectares).

Main reasons for the damage:
1. Population explosion that results in the high demand for mangrove forest conversion
2. Past sectoral/partial planning of coastal resources
3. Lack of people's awareness for mangrove conservation and of mangrove ecosystem function
4. Poverty of coastal people

The worst impact of mangrove ecosystem damage is of physical and ecological. Physical impact is
coastal erosion and the damage of housing and articles due to typhoon and seawater intrusion.
Ecological impact can be seen in the decreasing fertility of coastal area and the declining quality of
coastal waters.

a. Physical and chemical damage
The activities that contribute greatly to the damage of mangrove forestry in Indonesia is the cutting
of trees for commercial purposes and the conversion of mangrove forest into fish ponds and
agricultural areas.
Physical and chemical reasons and consequences of mangrove forest damage are described
below:
1. Mineral mining
The mining of mineral within the mangrove ecosystem may cause total damage while the
mining outside the mangrove area may result in various damaging effects. The most
prominent effect is the sedimentation of materials brought by surface water into the
mangroves.

2. Forest exploitation
The exploitation of mangrove forest on the large scale is meant to obtain wood, wood
shavings and pulp. Therefore the forest exploitation should be done carefully to decrease the
chances of damages, and especially to guarantee the sustainability of ecological chains which
is nothing but the mangrove ecosystem, so that its function as preserver of biological diversity
and environment stabilizer can be maintained. Kapetsky (1982) stated that the damaging of
mangrove forest in estuaries will speed up the process of sedimentation that in turn will have a
bad impact on the lives of rock fish and sea grass.

b. Biological damage
The damage caused by biological factors is the attack form pests. Pests that live on mangroves
are:
1. Caterpillars (Lepidoptera)
a. Pouch caterpillar (Acanthopsyche).
b. Hairy Caterpillar (Lepidoptera)
c. Bud Caterpillar (Capua endoeypa)
d. Leaf Caterpillar (Lasiognatha leveri brandley)
e. Leaf Caterpillar (Dasyehira)
2. Scaled bugs (chionapsis)
3. Beetles
a. Chaectocnema beetle
b. Seed digger bettle (poecilips fallax)
c. Leaf eating beetle (basilepta)
4. Locusts
5. Spiders
6. Crabs
7. Shrimps
8. Mammals.
2.6. Integrated Management of Coastal Area
Mangrove ecosystem is part of coastal ecosystem so that the management of mangrove ecosystem
must be integrated with the environment of coastal areas. The integrated management of coastal
resources is the art of managing the whole development activities in such a way that they do not
exceed functional capacity.

Rohmin et al. (2001) mentioned some characteristics of coastal management:
a. The managed area should have a clear physical borders, both vertically and horizontally in
relation to the coast line in order to ease the planning and management of coastal area.
b. It is aimed at minimizing the conflict of interests in exploitation of resources.
c. It should be a sustainable, dynamic process and lasts for a long term.
d. The planning and management of coastal development should be based on the characteristics
of ecological dynamics of coastal area.
e. The implementation of activities should be done interdisciplinary taking into account
ecological, economic and engineering aspects.
f. There should a special agency to take care of coastal areas.
Some important sectors related to the management and development of coastal areas are as follows:
1. Industry and trade sector. Industrial and trade activities commonly make use of coastal areas.
This would help them to handle transportation both in bringing in and exporting goods through
seaports.
2. Settlement sector. Nowadays the number of hotels built on coastal areas is increasing. The
consideration is the beauty of ocean view and the freshness of morning sea breeze.
3. Tourism sector. The development of marine tourism such as beach tour, diving, and others is
quite promising. This would push forward the development of hotels and trade along the
seashore.
4. Forestry sector. This sector is greatly needed to preserve the germic plasma and biological
diversity of mangrove forest, sea grass, and corals through tourism garden and conservation
zone.
5. Fishery sector. Activities related to fishery sector are fish breeding in ponds, fish catching, fish
industry and fish trade. Fish cultivation in ponds can be found in big and densely populated
islands in Indonesia which has a dilemma in economic development.

Through field observation, we can see that coastal communities are used to cut down mangrove trees
for the purpose of brackish water fish cultivation. One of the communities is the coastal people of
Mbay. Their main reason for cutting the mangroves is to increase the productivity of brackish water
fish. On the other hand this would induce disasters for the coastal communities themselves. Therefore
in order to prevent the disasters, one of the methods designed to save mangrove forest as well as to
create a place for brackish water fish cultivation and to protect rice field area along the coast is the so-
called fish skeleton long storage structure.
3. DEVELOPMENT OF FISH SKELETON LONG STORAGE STRUCTURE TO
PREVENT THE FLOODING IN OF SEAWATER INTO RICE FIELDS.
By fish skeleton long storage we mean a system of elongated storage in the form of fish skeleton to
control the back current of seawater during the high tide so that the water does not disturb the
irrigation system of the rice field.

Construction of the elongated storage in the form of fish skeleton is described in Figure 1 below.


Figure 1. Construction of Fish Skeleton Long Storage
The explanation is as follows. When there is a high tide the seawater would flow into the elongated
canals and be distributed to receptacle ponds. The ponds at the ends of the canals can be used as
breeding place for brackish water fish. Through this method the rice fields are protected from the
flooding in of high tide waves. Now people along the coast line do not need to cut down mangrove
trees for brackish fish cultivation because now they have had the ponds.
This elongated storage in the form of fish skeleton is applied in Mbay because it is suitable to the
available materials in the research location.
4. CONCLUSION
Mangrove is a vegetation that grows on the tidal line of the coast. In other words, it grows on the line
between the land and the sea. Mangrove resources have physical, chemical, biological functions that
support the fulfillment of human necessities and preserve the ecosystem balance in coastal areas
a. as coastal protection and buffer
b. as producer of organic substance
c. as habitat for mangrove faunas, and
d. as raw materials for industry and medicines.

According to the ministries of forestry and plantation (1999), the total width of mangrove forest is about
8.6 million hectares (3.8 million is within the forest area and 4.8 is without), most of which is located in
Papua, Maluku, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Sumatra. According to Nasution (1998), however, the
breadth of mangrove forest in Indonesia is just 3.70 million hectares. In West J ava (33,433 hectares)
and Central J ava (18,931 hectares) the mangrove forests are in damaged condition. Some reasons
that cause the damage on mangrove forests are:
1. Population explosion that results in high demand for conversion of mangrove forests
2. Past sectoral/partial planning of coastal resources
2. Lack of people's awareness for mangrove conservation and of mangrove ecosystem function
3. Poverty of coastal people

Through field observation, we can see that coastal communities are used to cut down mangrove trees
for the purpose of brackish water fish cultivation. One of the communities is the coastal people of
Mbay. Their main reason for cutting the mangroves is to increase the productivity of brackish water
fish. On the other hand this would induce disasters for the coastal communities themselves.

Therefore in order to prevent the disasters, one of the methods designed to save mangrove forest as
well as to create a place for brackish water fish cultivation and to protect rice field area along the coast
is the so-called fish skeleton long storage structure.

By fish skeleton long storage we mean a system of elongated storage in the form of fish skeleton to
control the back current of seawater during the high tide so that the water does not disturb the
irrigation system of the rice field. This elongated storage in the form of fish skeleton is applied in Mbay
because it is suitable to the available materials in the research location.
REFERENCES
Anonimus. 2001. Rehabilitasi Hutan Mangrove. Leaflet. Balai Rehabilitasi Lahan Konservasi Tanah
Pemali J ratum, Departemen Kehutanan.

_______. 2002. Kebijakan Departemene Kehutanan Dalam Pengelolaan Ekosistim Mangrove Fungsi
dan Manfaatnya Untuk Kesejahteraan Masyarakat. Direktorat J enderal Rehabilitasi Lahan
dan Perhutanan Sosial, Departemen Kehutanan dan Perkebunan.

______.2004. Pedoman Pengembangan Reklamasi Pantai dan Perencanaan Bangunan
Pengamannya. Departemen Permukimam dan Prasarana Wilayah

______.2004. Teknik Pembuatan Bibit Mangrove . Leaflet Balai Penegelolaan dan Pemali, J ratum
Dirjen RLPS, Departemen Kehutanan.

______.2004. Pedoman Pengelolaan Ekosistem Mangrove. Direktorat Bina Pesisir dan Pulau-Pulau
Keil, Departemen Kelautan dan Perikanan, J akarta.

Arief Arifin. 2003. Hutan Mangrove Fungsi dan Manfaatnya. Kanisius, Yogyakarta

Brotowidjoyo, dkk. 1995. Pengantar Lingkungan Perairan dan Budidaya Air. Liberty, Yogyakarta.
Priyanto, E.B. 2002. Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Mangrove di Kawasan Pesisir Kabupaten Pemalang.
Wetland Indonesia.

Rawana. 2002. Problematika Rehabilitasi Mangrove Berkelanjutan. Fakultas Kehutanan, Institut
Pertanian, Yogyakarta

Salam, H. 2002. Daya Tarik dan Potensi KOnflik Kawasan Mangrove. Fakultas Kehutanan Institut
Pertanian, Yogyakarta.

Saparinto, C.2007. Pendayagunaan Ekosistem Mangrove. Dahara Prize, Semarang

Triatmodjo, B. 2010. Teknik Pantai. Beta Offset, Yogyakarta.

Wibisono, M.S.,2005. Pengantar Ilmu Kelautan. Grasindo, J akarta