Estuarine Ecosystems; Between Fisheries Production and Pollution

Indonesia is one of the largest archipelagic countries in the world, with approximately 17,508 islands and a coastline length of around 95,181 km. The extensive shallow coastal waters allow for the thriving and high biodiversity of the organisms inhabiting them. These organisms are spread across various ecosystems in coastal areas, including estuaries. Additionally, estuarine ecosystems are known to have great potential to support fisheries production. This is firstly because estuaries are ecosystems that are greatly influenced by tides, and secondly, because estuaries are semi-enclosed waters. As a result, many nutrients get trapped in estuaries. However, on the other hand, coastal areas are generally also centers for various activities, such as industry, settlements, aquaculture, recreation, and maritime transportation facilities. As a result of these multiple human activities, estuaries often receive pollutant waste. Therefore, not only is there nutrient trapping, but also pollutant trapping occurring in estuarine ecosystems. To address the potential decline in water quality in estuaries, proper control is required, both related to excess nutrients and toxic substances such as pesticides and heavy metals.