2006, p. The Great Barrier Reef is a site of remarkable variety and beauty on the north-east coast of Australia. The "turtle and dugong capital of the world", the northern Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait region, faces increased pressure under climate change from … Since Dugong populations increase slowly, at greatest by 5% annually, their population is vulnerable. They are solitary creatures, though can be found in pairs. As with all other marine mammals, dugongs must surface to breathe. Mesh nets: Prohibitions and restrictions on the use of nets by commercial fishers in dugong protection areas are available in the Fisheries Regulations 1995. Sea Cow Baby Boom Is Good News for Great Barrier Reef. Current combined levels of mortality from all threats, as reported in the marine strandings database maintained by the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection/Queensland Parks and Wildlife, are thought to be unsustainable. Dugongs rarely communicate visually, due to their poor eyesight. Young Dugongs stay with their mothers for the first few months of life. The dugong, one of four species of sea cow in the order Sirenia, live throughout shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific. Found mostly in Australia, Dugong are more closely related to elephants than to whales and dolphins. They are also protected by other Commonwealth legislation such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 where they are a protected species. Protecting the Dugong The dugong (Dugong dugon) is the only herbivorous mammal that is strictly marine and is the only extant species in Family Dugongidae. Dugongs, or sea cows as they are sometimes called, are marine animals which can grow to about three metres in length and weigh as much as 400 kilograms. These stresses can cause female Dugongs to produce fewer offspring, lowering the population growth further. On the east coast of Queensland, we estimate that each year commercial gillnetting entangles around 50 of these majestic animals, so it's a significant threat to declining populations. After decades of work, A$200 million in taxpayer funding and even more from farmers’ pockets, we finally have a rare good news story to tell about the Great Barrier Reef. Dugong are more closely related to elephants than to other marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, but their closest living aquatic relatives are the manatees. The name sea cow refers to the fact that they graze on seagrass, which forms meadows in sheltered coastal waters. For example sea grasses are producers and are the 1st level of trophic, 2nd level is the herbivores and the 3rd level small carnivors. Fishing practices, such as commercial netting, can also lead to accidental drownings. 8. ... Dugong. Dugong inhabit shallow, tropical waters throughout the Indo-Pacific region. To reflect Dugong Protection Areas under Queensland Fisheries legislation, these Special Management Areas are designated­ — to the extent the areas are within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Great Barrier Reef provides important feeding areas for the species; this reef area houses a stable population of around 10,000, although the population concentration has shifted over time. Found mostly in Australia, Dugong are more closely related to elephants than to whales and dolphins. There are concerns about the dugong population within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. ... 215 species of birds including 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds are supported by the Great Barrier Reef . ABN 82 090 616 443. One of the world’s most important dugong populations is supported by the Great Barrier Reef . The Great Barrier Reef region supports globally significant populations of dugong. The Dugong’s brain only weighs 300 grams of their 400kg! Read More. One method used to mitigate the effects of commercial fishing in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is the implementation of Dugong Protection Areas (DPA’s). The Great Barrier Reef Foundation extends its deepest respect and recognition to all Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef as First Nations Peoples holding the hopes, dreams, traditions and cultures of the Reef. Female Dugongs can give birth to one calf per pregnancy and birth every 3 to 7 years over their 70-year lifespan. Dugong’s food web showing trophic levels 6. Australia has international responsibilities for the management of dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef Region. Throughout their worldwide range they are threatened by human impacts, particularly by the effects of habitat degradation. As dugongs feed, whole plants are uprooted and a telltale feeding trail is left behind. That listing was intended to protect the Reef. The second largest population is found in the Arabian Gulf. When Dugong calves need to be nursed, they suck on their flippers, almost like a child sucking on their thumb. The contributions of these people in acquiring and providing this information are gratefully acknowledged. Whether in protection areas or not, take care to avoid injuring or distressing dugongs. Dugong swim using their whale-like fluked tail and they use their front flippers for balance and turning. They find and grasp seagrass with the aid of coarse, sensitive bristles that cover the upper lip of their large and fleshy snout. A personal favourite animal to spot is the Dugong. Baby dugongs are also famously cute! Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef have co-existed with dugongs for more than 60,000 years. A greater number of dugong occur along the remote coast (northern third of the Great Barrier Reef north of Cooktown), and populations appear stable in that area. They eat both day and night, locating their food with the help of coarse, sensitive bristles on their upper lip. Great Barrier Reef. Dugongs sing to each other all the time, using chirps, whistles, barks and other sounds that echo through the water. The Park itself extends south from the tip of north Queensland, in north-eastern Australia, to just north of Bundaberg. During the mating season, male dugongs use their tusks to fight each other. Comparison of dugong habitat zoning within the Great Barrier Reef Marine ... Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.....17 3. In remote coast areas, dugongs have a high social and economic value because they provide subsistence food to communities where a nourishing diet is essential but often expensive to attain. Most extravagant residents of Austalia's offshore waters that can be spotted all along the Great Barrier Reef Bibliography The Great Barrier Reef Trophic levels show position an organism is in the food web. Dugong have poor eyesight but very good hearing. Dugongs are an essential element of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's living maritime culture along the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. To enhance the protection of our iconic marine turtles and dugong in Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait, the Australian Government has committed $5.3 million over three years for delivery of a Dugong and Turtle Protection Plan under the Reef 2050 Plan and Reef Trust. Severe weather along the Queensland coast in the summer of 2010-11 has affected the Great Barrier Reef’s endangered dugong population. Early explorers and sailors believed that they were mermaids because of their streamlined bodies and the large teats at the base of the flippers of the female dugong. ISBN 1 876945 15 X. Great Barrier Reef Location The Great Barrier Reef is an enormous living formation which is located in Australia. II. The use of marine food resources such as the dugong greatly strengthens Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and demonstrates connection with traditional sea country. They inhabit both freshwater and brackish water, where seagrass beds can be found. Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef have co-existed with dugongs for more than 60,000 years. low natural mortality and no human-induced mortality). The Dugongs of the Great Barrier Reef | Great Barrier Reef 21/11/2020 21/11/2020 All Blogs List , Animals That Are TOO CUTE! Protect habitat: Avoid damaging seagrass an don't drag boats over seagrass meadows. The activities associated with the hunting of dugong and preparing and sharing the meat has great significance and is an expression of the continuance of long cultural traditions. This makes Australia the largest, and globally most important, refuge for dugong. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park was created in 1975 through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act. Protecting the Dugong The dugong (Dugong dugon) is the only herbivorous mammal that is strictly marine and is the only extant species in Family Dugongidae. Your donation could help the rare and endangered Dugong remain a regular visitor to the Great Barrier Reef. Dugongs are more closely related to elephants than other marine mammals, such as whales and dolphins. One of the World Heritage values of the region is that it provides major breeding grounds for large populations of the endangered species Dugong dugon. The Great Barrier Reef is in the Coral ... is the dugong. ("Australian Government Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority", 2002; Lawler, et al., 2002; Marsh, 2009; "ARKive. They are large mammals and are herbivores. Worldwide, the dugong is listed under the IUCN - the World Conservation Union - Red List of Threatened Animals as being vulnerable to extinction. 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