Recognising a seagrass grazer
Dugongs have horizontally divided tail flukes, a downward-facing snout, and no dorsal fin. Their mouth is suited to gathering plants from the seabed. As mammals, they still need to return to the surface to breathe.
Seagrass is not seaweed
Seagrasses are flowering plants living in the sea. Their meadows provide food for dugongs and green turtles. Protecting dugongs therefore includes protecting plants often invisible from the beach, alongside the animals people notice at the surface.
Reading coastal habitat accurately
Dugongs can use shallow bays and channels around mangroves, while feeding depends on suitable seagrass. The mangrove connection on this site represents part of the coastal landscape; it does not mean mangrove roots are the dugong’s principal food.
Pressures affect animals and habitat
Nets and vessel strikes can harm dugongs directly. Pollution and coastal change can also damage seagrass feeding grounds. Conservation needs to address both levels; water that looks clear does not by itself establish that a seagrass meadow is healthy.
Choosing useful support
The CMS conservation framework addresses dugongs together with their habitat. When assessing a local programme, look for seagrass monitoring, work with fishing communities, and injured-animal reporting. Do not buy dugong parts or approach an animal to obtain an interaction.
Sources & references
- University of Michigan — Dugong dugon ↗
- Great Barrier Reef Foundation — What is seagrass? ↗
- Great Barrier Reef Foundation — Restoring seagrass meadows ↗
- CMS — Dugong conservation ↗
References can change. Check dates and context in the original source.