Characteristics
Seagrass is a plant habitat, not a coral community. Its underwater vegetation should be identified as a meadow rather than inferred from clear water or a sandy beach photograph. The Berau study examines seagrass within a coastal conservation context, separating habitat observations from a broad island tourism description.
Distribution
The selected fisheries research documents seagrass work in Berau’s conservation seascape, including Biduk-Biduk and earlier island survey locations. The guide links the habitat to East Kalimantan without claiming the same meadow extent at every Derawan island or supplying an unverified province-wide area.
Ecological importance
Seagrass is relevant to coastal carbon research and to green-turtle feeding ecology. A turtle nesting record and a feeding meadow are different kinds of evidence; one should not automatically substitute for the other. Avoid anchoring or trampling vegetation and ask a local guide which habitat the chosen visit actually crosses.
Threats
Green turtles use coastal feeding habitat, including seagrass. NOAA identifies habitat loss and degradation among their threats. Damage from anchors and coastal disturbance therefore matters beyond the appearance of the water surface.
Species found here
Examples in the linked species profiles include Green turtle, Humphead wrasse. Their profiles identify the particular locality and evidence. A habitat association does not mean the species occurs in every patch of that habitat.
Sources & references · 12
NOAA Fisheries · Green turtleDharmadi and Wiadnyana / Indonesian fisheries research journal · Habitat dan sebaran sarang penyu hijau di Pulau DerawanIUCN SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group · Sea turtle conservation statusesUniversiti Malaysia Sarawak · Research Update Vol.5 No.2 December2009 — Molecular phylogeny of green turtle Chelonia mydas in Talang-Satang National ParkUniversiti Malaysia Sarawak · Seaweed Halimeda spp. of Satang Island, SarawakSarawak Forestry Corporation · Talang Satang National ParkSabah Parks · Turtle Island Heritage Protected AreaWorld Register of Marine Species / FishBase · Cheilinus undulatus Rüppell, 1835: taxon detailsFishBase · Cheilinus undulatus: field guide species summaryMarine Policy / study authors · Tackling illegal, unregulated, and unreported trade towards Humphead wrasse recovery in SabahUniversity of East Anglia / Tim Daw · Reef Fish Aggregations in Sabah, East MalaysiaIUCN assessment authors / ICAR-CMFRI repository · Cheilinus undulatus: Humphead Wrasse, IUCN assessment 2025Protected areas
Documented landscapes to explore include Sipadan Island Park. These areas contain habitat mosaics; the habitat does not cover their entire surface. Check each area’s access information before a visit.
