Penelitian ekologi ikan kurau (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) dilakukan di perairan Bengkalis pada bulan September dan Oktober 2008. Perairan Bengkalis sebagai salah satu penghasil ikan kurau di Propinsi Riau. Untuk mendukung kelestarian ikan kurau telah dilakukan kajian ekologi meliputi kimia dan fisika oseanografi, plankton dan benthos. Hasil analisa diperoleh nilai derajat keasaman perairan Bengkalis masih bagus dan masih tergolong normal untuk perairan pantai. Kandungan oksigen, zat hara fosfat, nitrat, ammonia masih normal sebagai perairan pantai dan tergolong perairan cukup subur bahkan ada beberapa area yang sangat subur. Kondisi arus bulan September dan Oktober 2008 didapatkan dominan bergerak ke arah barat laut menelusuri Selat Malaka dari arah tenggara dan ini sesuai dengan kondisi pasang-surut yang dominan sedang surut. Suhu bagian permukaan bulan September dan Oktober 2008 didapatkan relatif lebih panas dibandingkan dengan bagian tengah ataupun dengan bagian dekat dasar. Suhu di bagian barat perairan Bengkalis dari bagian permukaan sampai dekat dasar didapatkan relatif lebih panas dibandingkan dengan sebelah timurnya, diduga ada sumber panas dari arah barat lautnya (Selat Malaka). Salinitas bagian permukaan bulan September dan Oktober 2008 didapatkan relatif lebih tinggi dan polanya relatif hampir sama dengan bagian permukaan. Salinitas di bagian barat laut dari bagian permukaan sampai dekat dasar didapatkan relatif lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan sebelah barat dan timurnya, ini menggambarkan bahwa salinitas tinggi melewati perairan Bengkalis atau Selat Malaka dari arah Samudera Hindia atau sebaliknya dari arah Laut Cina Selatan. Keberadaan plankton dan benthos di perairan ini sangat mendukung sebagai makanan ikan ikan kurau. Ekologi perairan Bengkalis merupakan habitat ikan kurau yang perlu dipertahankan. Perairan Bengkalis masih termasuk perairan yang masih dapat dilakukan kegiatan budidaya biota laut, namun demikian faktor lingkungan lainnya harus diteliti terlebih dahulu.

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Research on Kurau ecology (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) was done in Bengkalis Marine in September and October 2008. Bengkalis waters is one of Kurau fish producer in Riau Province and to support Kurau fish conservation, an ecological study was done, including chemistry, physical, oceanographic, plankton and benthos analysis. The analysis results showed that the acidity value in Bengkalis waters was still good and normal for coastal ecology. The contents of Oxygen, phosphate, nitrate and ammonia were still normal as a coastal waters and it is classified as a quite lush waters, some even were very lush. The Current condition in September and October 2008 were dominantly moved towards the northwest across the Malaka Strait from the southeast and it was in line with the tidal condition that was dominantly receding. The Surface temperature found in September and October 2008 were relatively hotter than in the middle part or the near the base. The temperature in the western part of Bengkalis waters (from the surface) to the base was higher than in its eastern part. It was predicted that there was a heat source coming from the nortwest (Malaka Strait). The surface salinity obtained in September and October 2008 were relatively higher and its pattern was relatively almost the same as its surface part. The salinity in the northwestern part from the surface to near the base was higher than in the western and the eastern part. It shows that the high salinity moves through the Bengkalis waters or Malaka Strait from the Indian Ocean direction or conversely it moves from the South China Sea. The presence of plankton and benthos in the waters is very supportive as the food source for kurau fish. The Bengkalis waters ecology that is the kurau fish habitat must be conserved. Bengkalis waters is still included as a water that can still be utilized for cultivating aquaculture activities, however the other environmetal factors must be researched first.