Coral reef condition in Kepulauan Seribu during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2021-2025)

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an anthropause phenomenon characterized by a reduction in human activities and interactions with ecosystems, including coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs. This study aims to analyze changes in coral reef conditions in the Seribu Islands during and after the pandemic over the period 2021–2025. Observations were conducted at two stations, namely Barat Pulau Pramuka (BPR) and Selatan Pulau Panggang (SPG), using the Line Intercept Transect (LIT) method at a depth of 3–5 m with three replicates. The results show that the benthic substrate at BPR was dominated by abiotic components, whereas SPG was dominated by hard coral. Hard coral cover at BPR remained in poor condition, showing an increasing trend from 2021 to 2024, followed by a decline in 2025, indicating an unstable recovery pattern. In contrast, SPG did not exhibit clear changes related to the pandemic period, but it remained dominated by hard coral, with the highest cover recorded in 2025 (87.28%). The dominant lifeforms at both stations were submassive, massive, and encrusting. The findings suggest that changes in coral reef conditions were influenced not only by reduced human activities during the pandemic but also by local environmental factors