Wild Dugong Seagrass Habitat and Welfare Conservation

Dugongs are large marine herbivores entirely dependent on seagrass meadows, which are declining globally due to coastal development, water quality degradation, and climate change. Their slow reproduction makes population recovery from habitat loss extremely slow.

Key Facts

Dugongs are the only strictly herbivorous marine mammals, consuming up to 40 kg of seagrass daily and leaving characteristic feeding trails on the seafloor
The global dugong population is estimated at around 100,000 individuals, with the largest concentration in Australian waters
Seagrass meadows have declined by 30 per cent globally since the 1980s due to runoff from agriculture and coastal development that reduces water clarity
Dugongs have the lowest reproductive rate of any mammal relative to body size — females produce a single calf every 3 to 7 years
Bycatch in gillnets and traditional hunting remain significant mortality causes across the Indo-Pacific range

Welfare Considerations

Dugongs displaced from seagrass meadows by boat strike damage, habitat destruction, or turbidity events must travel greater distances to find adequate food, increasing energy expenditure and exposure to additional threats. Boat strikes cause traumatic injuries including propeller wounds and internal haemorrhage that impair diving and feeding ability. Bycatch in gillnets results in drowning — dugongs must surface every 6 minutes to breathe. Welfare protection requires boat speed restrictions in dugong habitat, seagrass restoration programmes, and bycatch reduction through modified or removed gillnets in critical areas.

What You Can Do

Observe speed limits in designated dugong protection zones when boating in Australian, Pacific, and Indian Ocean coastal areas
Support seagrass restoration programmes that reduce coastal runoff and improve water clarity in dugong habitat
Donate to WWF and Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project monitoring populations and advocating for habitat protection
Advocate for removal of gillnets from critical dugong habitat zones and replacement with fishing methods that do not risk bycatch drowning
Reduce use of agricultural fertilisers and support sustainable land management that prevents nutrient runoff into coastal seagrass systems