How are humans helping the dugong?

Protecting habitat Seagrass feeding and breeding areas are absolutely vital to dugongs. We are actively collaborating with farmers in Great Barrier Reef catchments to protect the quality of water that enters the Reef and thereby prevent dugong habitat from being degraded.

How can we save endangered animals and dugongs?

The endangered species can be saved Current and long-term monitoring of dugongs shows that their populations can be maintained or recovered by ensuring protection of their habitats, reducing their deaths due to fishing.

Why is it important to protect dugongs?

They also protect coasts from the impacts of storms, improve the quality of marine water and help prevent climate change acceleration. The dugong that live in these seagrass ecosystems are excellent barometers indicative of the overall health of the ecosystem.

How many dugongs are left in Australia?

Australia. Australia is home to the largest population, stretching from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Moreton Bay in Queensland. The population of Shark Bay is thought to be stable with over 10,000 dugongs. Smaller populations exist up the coast, including one in Ashmore reef.

What are the threats to a dugong?

Threats. Dugongs are threatened by sea grass habitat loss or degradation because of coastal development or industrial activities that cause water pollution. If there is not enough sea grass to eat then the dugong does not breed normally. This makes the conservation of their shallow water marine habitat very important.

What are the main threats to their seagrass habitat?

The greatest pollution threat to seagrass populations is from high levels of plant nutrients. High nutrient levels, often due to agricultural and urban run off, cause algae blooms that shade the seagrass. Reduction in light decreases seagrass growth and can kill whole populations. Suspended sediments also reduce light.

What would happen if dugongs went extinct?

Abu Dhabi If dugongs become extinct, the impact will not be limited merely to the fact that future generations will not get to see the marine mammal — their absence will almost surely have an impact on the availability of sea fish, the staple diet of millions of people across the world.

How do dugongs survive?

Dugongs graze on underwater grasses day and night, rooting for them with their bristled, sensitive snouts and chomping them with their rough lips. These mammals can stay underwater for six minutes before surfacing. They sometimes breathe by “standing” on their tail with their heads above water.

What would happen if dugongs become extinct?

Do dugongs breathe air?

Like other mammals such as whales, dugongs need to breathe air. They can only remain below the surface for up to six minutes at a time, which is most likely why they prefer shallower areas.

Is dugong endangered or threatened?

Vulnerable
Dugong/Conservation status

The dugong’s current distribution is fragmented, and many populations are believed to be close to extinction. The IUCN lists the dugong as a species vulnerable to extinction, while the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species limits or bans the trade of derived products.

What does a dugong do?