Ditemukan Hutan Mangrove di Bawah Laut Kalsel

VIVAnews – Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI) menemukan bahwa terjadi peningkatan air laut di daerah Kalimantan Selatan hingga sekitar 50 meter.

“Kami menemukan adanya magrove atau hutan bakau di 50 meter di bawah permukaan laut,” kata Peneliti Oceanografi LIPI, Hasanuddin, di Jakarta, Senin 27 Desember 2010.

Seperti diketahui, hutan bakau atau disebut juga hutan mangrove adalah hutan yang tumbuh di atas rawa-rawa berair payau yang terletak pada garis pantai.

Meski demikian, Hasanuddin tidak mau terburu-buru menyimpulkan apakah kenaikan air laut ini disebabkan karena adanya perubahan iklim atau tidak. “Kami masih menduga apakah mangrove ini memang sudah tumbuh di situ sejak lama atau memang terbawa arus laut dan kemudian tumbuh di situ,” ujarnya. “Kami masih mencari bukti pendukungnya.”
Menurut Hasanuddin, kondisi ini tidak hanya terjadi di Kalimantan Selatan saja. Tapi juga terjadi di daerah Cina Selatan hingga ke paparan sunda. “Proses ini diperkirakan terjadi secara bertahap sejak 11 ribu tahun,” ujarnya.

Selain itu, LIPI juga menemukan bahwa di jarak 250 kilometer dari muara Barito, masih dipengaruhi oleh air tawar. “Jadi belum tercampur air laut. Ini sangat mempengaruhi proses aliran arus lintas indonesia secara keseluruhan,” ujarnya.

Sampai saat ini, lanjut Hasanuddin, LIPI masih mencoba memastikan biota laut yang hidup di perairan tersebut. “Masih diteliti apakah ada ikan baru yang hidup di situ,” ujarnya. (umi)

Mangrove forests are found in South Kalimantan Underwater

VIVAnews - Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) found that an increase in sea water in the area of South Kalimantan up to about 50 meters.

"We found the existence of mangrove forests in magrove or 50 meters below sea level," said researcher oceanography LIPI, Hasanuddin, in Jakarta, Monday, December 27, 2010.
As is known, mangrove forests also called mangrove forest is a forest that grows on top of brackish water marsh located on the coastline.

Nevertheless, Hasanuddin not want to rush to conclude whether the increase in sea water is due to climate change or not. "We still think if it's already mangroves grow on it for a long time or are carried by ocean currents and then grow on it," he said. "We are still looking for supporting evidence."

According to Hasanuddin, this condition does not only happen in South Kalimantan alone. But it also occurs in Southern China regions up to the Sunda shelf. "This process is expected to occur in stages since 11 thousand years," he said.

In addition, LIPI also found that at a distance of 250 kilometers from the mouth of the Barito, still influenced by fresh water. "So not mixed seawater. This greatly affects the process of current flow across Indonesia as a whole, "he said.

To date, more Hasanuddin, LIPI still trying to ensure marine life that live in these waters. "There are still investigated whether there is a new fish that live there," he said. (Umi)