Interlinkage insight connectivity within coral reef ecosystems: Interim assessment of coral reef ecological status in Kepala Madan Reefs, South Buru Regency

Coral reef ecosystems are strongly influenced by benthic composition, which shapes habitat complexity and affects associated reef fish communities. This study aimed to analyze the interlinkage between benthic composition and reef fish functional structure in Kepala Madan Reefs, South Buru Regency, Indonesia. Surveys were conducted at 15 stations using the Underwater Photo Transect (UPT) method for benthic assessment and Underwater Visual Census (UVC) for reef fish observation. Functional structure was analyzed using Community Weighted Mean (CWM), while ecological relationships were evaluated using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results showed considerable spatial variation in benthic composition, with hard coral cover ranging from 2.73% to 54.07%. Degraded habitats were characterized by high rubble, sand, and algal cover. A total of 8,652 reef fish individuals representing 214 species and 32 families were recorded, dominated by Caesionidae and planktivorous fishes. PCA revealed a clear ecological gradient from coral-dominated habitats associated with specialized reef-associated functional groups to degraded habitats dominated by generalist feeders. However, planktivores remained dominant across all stations, indicating that oceanographic productivity also plays an important role in shaping reef fish assemblages. These findings demonstrate that reef fish functional structure in Kepala Madan is influenced not only by benthic condition but also by environmental and oceanographic factors.