Dugongs are entirely dependent on seagrass meadows that are being degraded globally, threatening their welfare and survival.
Dugongs displaced from seagrass habitat face nutritional stress as they must travel farther to find adequate food. Boat strikes cause traumatic injuries including propeller lacerations. Entanglement in fishing gear causes drowning. Climate-driven seagrass loss from cyclones and flooding removes food resources at ecosystem scale. Each of these threats causes individual welfare harm while driving population decline.