This National Threatened Species Day, we are shining a light on the Reef's vulnerable dugongs and action being taken to protect them.
Dugongs are fascinating marine mammals that:
- can weigh up to 400kg
- are more closely related to elephants than they are to whales and dolphins
- have a brain that only weighs around 300 grams, which is about 0.1% of their total bodyweight
Australia hosts the most significant dugong population in the world. By providing a feeding ground, the Reef plays an important role as a refuge for dugongs.
Our globally significant dugong populations is one of the main reasons the Reef was listed as a World Heritage Property.
Dugongs also support the Reef's ecosystem. They help to spread seeds while they graze on seagrass. This assists the growth and sustainability of seagrass meadows.
Thanks to their size, dugongs have limited predators. They are vulnerable to human threats. This includes entanglement and habitat degradation.
To protect dugongs on the Reef, we are supporting monitoring programs, managing threats and healthy habitats.
We jointly fund a monitoring program with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. This program is delivering critical knowledge on dugong populations, distributions and abundance.
We fund the ReefClean Program. This program reduces the impact on marine debris on the Reef. The program runs beach clean-ups and collects marine debris data. It has helped removed more than 140 tonnes of marine debris from the Reef region since 2019.
Through the Reef Coastal Restoration Program, we are funding projects to protect, rehabilitate and restore seagrass habitats that Dugongs rely on.
Our actions to protect marine life is also supporting delivery of the Reef 2050 Plan.
