Have you ever seen over 200 dugongs swimming freely in the sea? Let's Find Them in Qatar Gulf Region | CBCGDF Ocean&Wetlands

Dugong, the only living representative of the Dugongidae family, is a large herbivorous marine mammal found in shallow waters along the coasts of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. Known for their shy nature and reliance on seagrass as their main food source, dugongs spend over 90% of their time underwater, surfacing only for breathing, mating, giving birth, and migrating to new feeding areas. In January 2024, Qatar's Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) documented a healthy population of 224 dugongs, including 27 mother-calf pairs, indicating successful reproduction and a secure habitat. These gentle giants, often mistaken for mermaids, are crucial for maintaining marine biodiversity, but they face numerous threats including ship propellers, fishing nets, oil spills, plastic ingestion, habitat loss, and the decline of seagrass meadows. Recognized as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN, dugongs are in dire need of conservation efforts to preserve their populations and the ecosystems they support.

Despite their importance, dugong research is challenging due to their elusive nature. Prof. John MK Wong pointed out that they are difficult to observe, as they rarely surface and are often in groups of two or three. Advanced equipment like drones is necessary for aerial surveys to spot these creatures, which spend most of their time foraging or resting on the seafloor. The lack of funding and resources in many developing countries further exacerbates the data scarcity needed for systematic research. In China, where dugongs were once widespread, they have been declared functionally extinct by an international team of scientists in August 2022, highlighting the urgency for global conservation efforts.


Original Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UXS2p8BZLhtWg0zZE0jN4A

Translator: Richard

Checked by Sara

Editor: Richard

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