Population Structure of Mangrove Snails (Terebralia sulcata) Around the Nickel Mining Area of Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi
DOI:
10.29303/jbt.v26i2.11850Published:
2026-05-29Downloads
Abstract
Nickel mining in Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi, potentially alters mangrove ecological dynamics, specifically affecting benthic biota. This study analyzes the population structure of the mangrove snail (Terebralia sulcata) using purposive systematic sampling across reference, transition, and mining-impacted zones. Data were collected via transect quadrat methods (5x5 m²) during January 2024–January 2025. Water quality analysis indicated significant elevations in dissolved Ni and organic loads (COD/BOD) in impacted areas. Population structure revealed a unimodal distribution dominated by the 35–45 mm class, with limited juvenile recruitment in stressed sites. The length-weight relationship (LWR) exhibited a strong negative allometric pattern (b = 2.02), indicating faster shell length growth as an adaptive response to environmental stressors. Despite a stable condition factor (Kn = 1.124), spatial disparities were evident through a progressive decline in density and biomass toward impacted stations. This study provides a significant scientific contribution by establishing T. sulcata as a sensitive bioindicator for nickel pollution. The findings emphasize that mining-derived stressors negatively correlate with biological performance, highlighting the necessity for policy-driven bioindicator monitoring and the integration of benthic health assessments into coastal management protocols within nickel industrial zones to mitigate long-term ecological degradation.
Keywords:
Bioindicator Coastal Policy Nickel Mining Population Structure Terebralia sulcataReferences
Alfaro, A. C. (2006). Benthic macro-invertebrate community composition within a mangrove/seagrass estuary in northern New Zealand. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 66(1-2), 97–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2005.07.024
Alongi, D. M. (2008). Mangrove forests: Resilience, protection from tsunamis, and responses to global climate change. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 76(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2007.08.024
Blackwell, B. G., Brown, M. L., & Willis, D. W. (2000). Relative weight (Wr) status and current use in fisheries assessment and management. Reviews in Fisheries Science, 8(1), 1–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/10641260091129161
Budiman, A. (1988). Some aspects on the ecology of mangrove whelk Telescopium telescopium (Linne, 1758) (Mollusca, Gastropoda: Potamididae). Treubia, 29(4), 237–245. https://doi.org/10.14203/treubia.v29i4.1545
Cannicci, S., Burrows, D., Fratini, S., Smith III, T. J., Offenberg, J., & Dahdouh-Guebas, F. (2008). Faunal impact on vegetation structure and ecosystem function in mangrove forests: A review. Aquatic Botany, 89(2), 186–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2008.01.009
Degamon, L. S., Eviota, M. P., Hugo, R. L., Bertulfo, R. E., Odtojan, M. M., Buenaflor, G. S., & Cuadrado, J. T. (2023). Length–weight relationship of bivalves and gastropods from mangrove forest of Brgy. Nabago, Surigao City, Philippines. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1250(1), 012003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1250/1/012003
Duke, N. C., Mackenzie, J. R., Canning, A. D., Hutley, L. B., Bourke, A. J., Kovacs, J. M., & Ai, E. (2022). ENSO-driven extreme oscillations in mean sea level destabilise critical shoreline mangroves: An emerging threat. PLoS Climate, 1(8), e0000037. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000037
Efrianto, E., Chaerul, M., Marzuki, I., Desi, N., Mahmud, M., & Dirman, E. N. (2026). The impact of nickel mining activities on watershed hydrology and coastal sedimentation. Journal La Lifesci, 7(1), 57–68. https://doi.org/10.37899/journallalifesci.v7i1.3059
English, S., Wilkinson, C., & Baker, V. (1997). Survey manual for tropical marine resources. Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Fratini, S., Vigiani, V., Vannini, M., & Cannicci, S. (2004). Terebralia palustris (Gastropoda; Potamididae) in a Kenyan mangal: Size structure, distribution and impact on the consumption of leaf litter. Marine Biology, 144(6), 1173–1182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-003-1282-6
Froese, R. (2006). Cube law, condition factor and weight–length relationships: History, meta‐analysis and recommendations. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 22(4), 241–253. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0426.2006.00805.x
Froese, R., & Pauly, D. (2025). FishBase/SeaLifeBase: Growth and condition factors in polluted environments. World Wide Web electronic publication.
Hamli, H., Kamal, A. H. M., Idris, M. H., Gerusu, G. J., Ismail, J., & Abualreesh, M. H. (2021). Bivalves (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in Malaysian Borneo: Status and threats. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 13(11), 19553–19565. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7287.13.11.19553-19565
Hamzah, H. E., Riani, E., & Saharuddin, N. S. I. (2015). Pollution load, assimilative capacity and quality status of coastal waters in Pomalaa nickel mining site of Southeast Sulawesi. International Journal of Research, 3(03), 2311–2484.
Ilham, I., et al. (2017). Metal distribution at river water of mining and nickel industrial area in Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Oriental Journal of Chemistry, 33(5), 2541–2548. https://doi.org/10.13005/ojc/330557
Le Cren, E. D. (1951). The length-weight relationship and seasonal cycle in gonad weight and condition in the perch (Perca fluviatilis). The Journal of Animal Ecology, 20(2), 201–219. https://doi.org/10.2307/1540
Lee, S. Y. (1999). Tropical mangrove ecology: Physical and biotic factors influencing ecosystem structure and function. Australian Journal of Ecology, 24(4), 355–366. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1442-9993.1999.00984.x
Lee, S. Y., Primavera, J. H., Dahdouh‐Guebas, F., McKee, K., Bosire, J. O., Cannicci, S., & Record, S. (2014). Ecological role and services of tropical mangrove ecosystems: A reassessment. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 23(7), 726–743. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12155
Malik, A., Fensholt, R., & Mertz, O. (2015). Economic valuation of mangroves for comparison with commercial aquaculture in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Forests, 6(9), 3028–3044. https://doi.org/10.3390/f6093028
Menon, M., Mohanraj, R., & RV, A. P. (2023). Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in a gastropod species at the Kole wetland agroecosystem, a Ramsar site. Journal of Environmental Management, 329, 117027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117027
Musrin, N. D., Tosepu, R., Rachman, R. M., Zainuddin, A., Kete, S. C. R., & Surya, R. A. (2025). Microplastic contamination and exposure in gastropods: A literature review. Journal of Epidemiology and Health Science, 2(3), 132–138. https://doi.org/10.36685/jehs.v2i3.1690
Pambudi, P. A. (2025). The paradox of nickel investment in Indonesia. Environmental Pollution Journal, 5(3), 299–319. https://doi.org/10.58954/epj.v5i3.339
Purnama, M. F., Prayitno, S. B., Muskananfola, M. R., & Suryanti, S. (2024). Ecological indices of mangrove gastropods community in nickel mining impacted area of Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi. Biotropia, 31(3), 359–371. https://doi.org/10.11598/btb.2024.31.3.2267
Purnama, M. F., Prayitno, S. B., Muskananfola, M. R., & Suryanti, S. (2025a). Existing condition of gastropods community in coastal areas affected by nickel overburden in Pomalaa District, Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Biotropia, 32(1), 69–86. https://doi.org/10.11598/btb.2025.32.1.2416
Purnama, M. F., Prayitno, S. B., & Muskananfola, M. R. (2025b). Population densities of Faunus ater and Terebralia sulcata in areas affected by nickel mining overburden and reference site in the mangrove ecosystem of Pomalaa, Southeast Sulawesi. Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian Indonesia, 30(3), 473–482. https://doi.org/10.18343/jipi.30.3.473
Rizal, A., Sahidin, A., & Herawati, H. (2018). Economic value estimation of mangrove ecosystems in Indonesia. Biodiversity International Journal, 2(1), 98–100. https://doi.org/10.15406/bij.2018.02.00051
Samsi, A. N., & Rusmidin, R. (2024). Size structure and growth of snail Terebralia palustris in mangrove ecosystem on Pannikiang Island. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 10(11), 9027–9032. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v10i11.8851
Sefali, S., Ruby, R., Dimple, D., & Giri, A. (2026). Toxicological implications of emerging pollutants on aquatic organisms. Discover Environment, 4(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44274-026-00557-y
Taslima, K., Al-Emran, M., Rahman, M. S., Hasan, J., Ferdous, Z., Rohani, M. F., & Shahjahan, M. (2022). Impacts of heavy metals on early development, growth and reproduction of fish: A review. Toxicology Reports, 9, 858–868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.04.013
Yee-Duarte, J. A., Arellano-Martínez, M., Roldán-Wong, N. T., Kidd, K. A., & Ceballos-Vázquez, B. P. (2024). Reduction in reproductive activity from degeneration of testicular follicles in Megapitaria squalida (Mollusca: Bivalvia) exposed to metal pollution in the Gulf of California. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 205, 116648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116648
Zhou, Q., Zhang, J., Fu, J., Shi, J., & Jiang, G. (2008). Biomonitoring: An appealing tool for assessment of metal pollution in the aquatic ecosystem. Analytica Chimica Acta, 606(2), 135–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2007.11.018
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Fajar Purnama, Farid Yasidi, Dedy Oetama, Haslianti Haslianti, Salwiyah Salwiyah, La Ode Abdul Rajab Nadia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Jurnal Biologi Tropis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The copyright of the received article shall be assigned to the author as the owner of the paper. The intended copyright includes the right to publish the article in various forms (including reprints). The journal maintains the publishing rights to the published articles.
Authors are permitted to disseminate published articles by sharing the link/DOI of the article at the journal. Authors are allowed to use their articles for any legal purposes deemed necessary without written permission from the journal with an acknowledgment of initial publication to this journal.
