Wild Dugong Seagrass Loss and Climate Vulnerability

Dugongs are dependent on seagrass meadows that are declining globally from coastal development, water quality degradation, and climate change.

Key Facts

Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are the only exclusively marine herbivorous mammal, eating seagrass nearly exclusively
They inhabit shallow coastal waters across the Indo-Pacific from East Africa to Australia
Dugong populations have declined dramatically in many areas due to seagrass loss and boat strikes
Seagrass meadows cover approximately 300,000 km2 globally and are declining at 7% per year
A single dugong needs to consume approximately 28 kg of seagrass daily to meet nutritional needs
Boat strikes cause lethal injuries and dugongs are protected in most range countries
Climate events including cyclones and floods cause catastrophic seagrass die-offs affecting dugong food security

Welfare Considerations

Dugongs facing seagrass loss experience nutritional stress and starvation when foraging ranges are depleted. Boat strikes cause traumatic injuries and death. Entanglement in fishing gear causes drowning - dugongs must surface to breathe every few minutes. Climate-driven seagrass die-offs following flooding or extreme heat can eliminate the food resource over vast areas simultaneously, causing mass starvation events among dependent dugong populations.

What You Can Do

Support seagrass restoration programs in dugong habitat areas across the Indo-Pacific
Advocate for boat speed limits and protected zones in coastal dugong habitat
Choose sustainable seafood to reduce the broader ocean degradation affecting coastal ecosystems
Donate to dugong research and conservation programs in Australia, East Africa, and Southeast Asia
Reduce fertilizer and runoff from land that causes coastal water quality degradation harming seagrass
Support climate action as seagrass loss from extreme weather events is a growing dugong welfare threat