Dugong Habitat Loss and Seagrass Decline

Dugongs are completely dependent on seagrass meadows that are disappearing globally due to coastal development, pollution, and climate change, threatening the species' survival.

Key Facts

Dugongs can consume up to 40 kg of seagrass per day
Global seagrass meadows have declined by 29% since 1879
Dugongs are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
Boat strike is a major cause of dugong injury and death
They live up to 70 years and have very low reproductive rates
A female dugong produces only one calf every 3 to 7 years
Dugongs rely on shallow, warm coastal waters that overlap with human activity
Indigenous communities in Australia hold cultural and subsistence connections to dugongs

Welfare Considerations

Dugongs that cannot access adequate seagrass suffer from nutritional stress, weakening their immune systems and reproductive capacity. Boat strike injuries cause traumatic wounds that are often fatal or severely debilitating. Entanglement in shark nets set along tourist beaches kills dugongs who drown unable to surface. As large, long-lived mammals with complex social behaviors, dugongs may experience extended suffering from chronic food deprivation as seagrass meadows disappear.

What You Can Do

Support marine seagrass restoration initiatives
Advocate for boat speed limits in dugong habitats
Support campaign to replace lethal shark nets with non-lethal alternatives
Reduce fertilizer runoff from your property that promotes algae blocking seagrass light
Visit dugong conservation projects run by Indigenous ranger groups in Australia