Abstract
Manado Bay fronts Manado City, North Sulawesi with its total population of ca. 500,000 people. In 1992, the governmetn established a National Park in the bay to protect coral reef ecosystems on five particular islands facing Manado Bay. Life Form Category by Linear Intercept Transect in 2 sites has good conditions (ca. 55%), 2 sites have moderate (ca. 30%), and the other 2 (two) sites are in a poor condition (<20%). In comparison to studies from the early 1990s the present coral condition seems to have decreased. Anthropogenic activities from the city and the increasing number of foreign and domestic visitors who dive in the park are probably the cause of the park's coral deterioration in Manado Bay. Since 1996, new construction and coastal reclamation in the city have also used the hard substrates for new coral recruitment. However, the excellent grade of water quality in the bay is an important factor in which the new coral colonies have successfully settled on the new hard substrate.
