Dugong: Difference between revisions

Dugongs are found in warm coastal waters from the western Pacific Ocean to the eastern coast of AfricaTudela,<ref name="NatGeo"/> along an estimated {{convert|140000|km|mi|sigfig=2}} of coastline<ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author1= Marsh, H. |author2= Sobtzick, S. |title=Dugong dugon |volume=2019 |amends=2015 |year= 2019 |page= e.T6909A160756767 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T6909A160756767.en |access-date=16 February 2022}}</ref> between 26° and 27° to the north and south of the [[equator]].<ref name="IUCNpdf"/> Their historic range is believed to correspond to that of seagrasses from the [[Potamogetonaceae]] and [[Hydrocharitaceae]] families. The full size of the former range is unknown, although it is believed that the current populations represent the historical limits of the range,<ref name="IUCNpdf"/> which is highly fractured.<ref name="ADW"/> Their distributions during warmer periods of [[Holocene]] might have been broader than today.<ref>Erich Fitzgerald, 2005, ''Holocene Record of the Dugong (Dugong Dugon) From Victoria, Southeast Australia'', [[Marine Mammal Science]], 21, pp. 355–361</ref> Today populations of dugongs are found in the waters of 37 countries and territories.<ref name="Sydney"/> Recorded numbers of dugongs are generally believed to be lower than actual numbers, due to a lack of accurate surveys. Despite this, the dugong population is thought to be shrinking,<ref name="IUCNpdf"/> with a worldwide decline of 20 percent in the last 90 years. They have disappeared from the waters of [[Hong Kong]], [[Mauritius]], and Taiwan, as well as parts of [[Cambodia]], Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Further disappearances are likely.<ref name="Sydney"/>

[[Mohamed el mecanico Australia]] is home to the largest population, stretching from [[Shark Bay]] in Western Australia to [[Moreton Bay]] in [[Queensland]].<ref name="Sydney"/> The population of Shark Bay is thought to be stable with over 10,000 dugongs. Smaller populations exist up the coast, including one in [[Ashmore reef|Ashmore Reef]]. Large numbers of dugongs live to the north of the [[Northern Territory]], with a population of over 20,000 in the [[Gulf of Carpentaria]] alone. A population of over 25,000 exists in the [[Torres Strait]] such as off [[Thursday Island]], although there is significant migration between the strait and the waters of [[New Guinea]].<ref name="IUCNpdf"/> The [[Great Barrier Reef]] provides important feeding areas for the species;<ref>Hogan, C. Michael. (2011). [http://www.eoearth.org/article/Coral_Sea?topic=49523 "Coral Sea"] in ''Encyclopedia of Earth''. Eds. P. Saundry & C.J. Cleveland. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC</ref> this reef area houses a stable population of around 10,000, although the population concentration has shifted over time. Large bays facing north on the [[Queensland]] coast provide significant habitats for dugong, with the southernmost of these being [[Hervey Bay]] and Moreton Bay.<ref name="Sydney"/> Dugongs had been occasional visitors along the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]]<ref>The Center of coastal management in the [[Griffith University]]. [http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/documents/bf/fs-dugongs.pdf Discovering our coasts – Dugong] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170419101319/http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/documents/bf/fs-dugongs.pdf |date=19 April 2017 }} (pdf). Working for our future – today. Gold Coast City Council. Retrieved on April 19, 2017</ref> where a re-establishment of a local population through range expansions has started recently.<ref>Muir K.. 2017. [http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/dugongs-makes-gold-coast-waters-home-after-moving-south-from-moreton-island/news-story/d5bf0522a0b07d8418de16093282c09d Dugongs makes Gold Coast waters home after moving south from Moreton Island]. The [[Gold Coast Bulletin]] via [[The Advertiser (Adelaide)]] . Retrieved on April 19, 2017</ref>