Dugong Conservation and Seagrass Habitat Loss

Dugongs depend entirely on seagrass meadows for food and are threatened by coastal development, boat strikes, and seagrass loss driven by water quality decline and climate change.

Key Facts

Dugongs are large herbivorous marine mammals that graze exclusively on seagrass meadows
They must surface to breathe every 1 to 6 minutes and are found in warm coastal waters from East Africa to Australia
Dugong populations have declined sharply in many regions due to habitat loss and hunting
Seagrass meadows are among the most rapidly declining coastal ecosystems globally
Propeller strikes from boats are a major source of injury and mortality in dugong populations
Dugongs have low reproductive rates, producing a single calf every 3 to 7 years
Shark Bay in Western Australia hosts one of the largest remaining dugong populations of approximately 10,000

Welfare Considerations

Dugongs entangled in fishing nets drown rapidly as they cannot reach the surface to breathe. Boat strike injuries cause traumatic wounds to these slow-moving animals who have limited ability to avoid fast vessels. Seagrass loss forces dugongs into longer foraging excursions that increase exposure to threats and reduce body condition. Calves separated from their mothers by net entanglement or boat strike have very low survival prospects. Protecting seagrass habitat through improved water quality management and reducing coastal development runoff is the most impactful long-term welfare intervention. Speed restrictions in dugong habitats and bycatch reduction measures address direct mortality causes.

What You Can Do

Support marine protected areas that include seagrass meadow conservation provisions
Advocate for boat speed restrictions in designated dugong habitat zones
Reduce agricultural and garden chemical runoff that degrades coastal water quality and harms seagrass
Donate to dugong research and conservation programs in Australia and the Indo-Pacific
Choose sustainably sourced seafood from fisheries that use dugong-safe gear modifications