PEKON MUARA TEMBULIH, NGAMBUR, PESISIR BARAT: PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TURTLE HABITAT

Regional marine conservation areas (KKLD) of the West Coast is an area of deployment and the nesting naturally. Ngambur the natural habitat of Olive Ridley turtles, green turtles, leatherback and hawksbill. Turtle habitat is located in the coastal area of vegetated and rescue area at the beach Ngambur, the turtle habitat environmental changes around the beach Ngambur thought to trigger the decline of turtle species. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of the species diversity of turtles and turtle nesting habitat types in Muara Pekon Tembulih, Ngambur, West Coast. This research was conducted in February to May 2016 using a concentrated area and method of Rapid Assessment Procedures. Based on the research of sea turtle species found in Ngambur namely the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) (n = 3) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) (n = 2) identification by outer shells were found. Characteristics of nesting habitat in Ngambur has a length of 941.23 meters beach, intertidal beach width ranging between 11.52 to 14.76 meters, the width of the beach supratidal ranged from 5.04 to 10.96 meters, temperature in the range of 26.5 to 33.750 C, the water content of 0.07%, the texture of the sand was 84.22% and 13.98% of fine sand texture, the flatness of the beach Ngambur including ramps category with an average of ± 2.43%. Vegetation is dominated nesting sites are the type of pandan sea (Pandanus tectorius) and animals that potentially predatory turtles and turtle eggs are paederinae (Paederus littoralis), ghost crabs (Ocypode ceratophthalma), eagle (haliaetus leucogaster), long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), snakes (Bungarus Candidus), dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and lizard (Varanus salvator). The existence of turtles in Ngambur still be maintained, with good habitat conditions will help the survival of turtles in captivity turtle in Ngambur.