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Large scale monitoring of dugong populations across northern Australia

Aerial surveys reveal extensive data on dugong populations, movement, and habitat use in Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, Moreton Bay, Hervey Bay, the Gulf of Carpentaria, and Western Australia's Shark Bay, Ningaloo, and Exmouth Gulf.

Featured project

Marine megafauna are iconic to Australian oceans. We are home to the world's largest dugong population.

We use a combination of conventional and innovative research using cutting-edge technology to monitor the trends in the abundance, distribution and habitat use of megafauna across Australia and globally.

Marine megafauna

We're facilitating transparent knowledge exchange and enhancing rapport and relationships between science and Traditional Owner groups across the Great Barrier Reef.

Dugong Connections

Monitoring, Community

COMING SOON

We are using DNA methods to identify what dugongs in the Townsville region are eating other than seagrass, and trialling a new eDNA approach.

Assessing dugong poo using eDNA

Research

COMING SOON

James Cook University scientists are studying a previously unknown manta ray aggregation at Holbourne Island.

Manta rays in the central Great Barrier Reef

Monitoring

COMING SOON

This project aims to understand dugong movement and behaviour by studying their diving patterns and habitat use.

Movement and behaviour of dugongs

Research

COMING SOON

Understanding dugong health through drone-based body condition assessments and blood sampling of captured and tagged animals.

Dugong health

Research

COMING SOON

Using population genomics approaches to identify dugong populations and their level of connectivity across northern Australia.

Using dugong genetics to understand connectivity

Research

COMING SOON

Aerial surveys reveal extensive data on dugong populations, movement, and habitat use in Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, Moreton Bay, Hervey Bay, the Gulf of Carpentaria, and Western Australia's Shark Bay, Ningaloo, and Exmouth Gulf.

Large scale monitoring of dugong populations across northern Australia

Monitoring

COMING SOON

Scientists are equipping Indigenous rangers with drone survey skills, alongside helicopter and boat-based surveys, to map dugongs in connection to their seagrass habitats.

Local scale mapping of dugongs and seagrass habitats

Community

COMING SOON

We are investigating the amount of grazing in meadows by turtles and dugongs, and its potential to impact the seagrass.

Impacts of turtle and dugong grazing on seagrass meadows

Research

COMING SOON

Research

Thibault M, Letourneur Y, Cleguer C, Bonneville C, Briand MJ, Derville S, Bustamante P, Garrigue C.

Marine megafauna

C and N stable isootopes enlighten the tropic behaviour of the dugong (Dugong dugon).

Edwards CM, Khamis A, Al Khalifa E, Suleiman R, Cleguer C.

Marine megafauna

Feasibility of using satellite imagery to detect dugong groups in the waters of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Cleguer C, Hamel MA, Rankin RW, Langlois L, Edwards C, Marsh H.

Marine megafauna

2023 Dugong Aerial Survey: Mission Beach to Cape York.

Cleguer C, Garrigue C, Fuentes MMPB, Hamann M, Payri C, Marsh H.

Marine megafauna

Temporal changes in habitat use for dugongs in a spatially restricted coral reef environment.

Wallace BP, Posnik ZA, Hurley BJ, et al.

Marine megafauna

Marine turtle regional management units 2.0: an updated framework for conservation and research of wide-ranging megafauna species.

Cleguer C, Hamel M, Rankin R, Genson A, Edwards C, Collins K, Crowe M, Choukroun S, Marsh H.

Marine megafauna

2022 Dugong Aerial Survey: Mission Beach to Moreton Bay.

McGowan AM, Lanyon JM, Clark N, Blair D, Marsh H, Wolanski E, Seddon JM.

Marine megafauna

Cryptic marine barriers to gene flow in a vulnerable coastal species, the dugong (Dugong dugon).

Garrigue C, Derville S, Bonneville C, et al.

Marine megafauna

Marine mammal stranding recorded in New Caledonia, South West Pacific Ocean, 1877 to 2022.

Reports and publications

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