NESP Marine and Coastal Hub (2023). Partnerships and novel technologies for improved dugong research. Project 3.10 Information sheet. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Cairns, Queensland.
Overview
Dugongs are an iconic species of great interest to the Australian community and are of cultural significance to northern Australia’s Indigenous peoples. Dugongs are protected and have high national and international conservation value. Many factors are known to affect the health and survival of dugong populations, for example, accidental capture by fishers and habitat loss. However, much is still to be learned about them, and current knowledge gaps limit Land and Sea Managers’ and communities’ capacity to plan and manage those activities that might impact their habitat, numbers, and health.
By using emerging technologies, great opportunities now exist to address these data gaps, at lower cost and with greater efficiency than ever before.
This project addresses these information gaps by collaboratively developing and testing better ways to undertake dugong-focussed research.
