Publications

Johnson, J.A., Rajpurkar, S., Aggarwal, A. et al. (2026).

This document reports on the population status of dugongs in Tamil Nadu, covering Palk Bay, including the Dugong Conservation Reserve and seagrass habitats in the Gulf of Mannar. The report presents population estimates using non-invasive, state of the art tools, confirming that together, Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar represent India’s largest viable dugong population.

Omar, K. and Shawky, A. (2026), Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.

Published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, this study identifies key dugong habitats and evaluates the effectiveness of existing marine protected areas (MPAs) for dugong conservation in Egypt. The researchers modelled habitat suitability under current and future climate scenarios, projecting a loss of around 11.8% of suitable habitat by 2050 and 20% by 2070. Existing MPAs cover around 54.8% of potential suitable habitat, with this proportion expected to decline to 52% by 2070. The study highlights the importance of protecting, monitoring and managing suitable dugong habitats both within and beyond existing MPAs to support effective long-term dugong conservation in the Egyptian Red Sea.

Seal, S., Bayyana, S., Pande, A., et al. (2026), Scientific Reports.

Published in Scientific Reports, this study identifies suitable dugong habitats in Indian waters and examines the environmental factors that influence them. The researchers combined environmental modelling with interviews, citizen-science data and field surveys to identify suitable habitats and assess the risks they face. Seagrass presence was the strongest determinant of habitat suitability, while depth, seabed slope and distance from shore were also important. Dugong habitat suitability varied by region and season, with shifts observed between Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar. Many suitable habitats face moderate to high risks, with less than 15% of high-risk areas falling within existing protected areas. Identifying these critical dugong habitats can help guide conservation planning as India works towards the global 30 × 30 biodiversity target. The study also demonstrates the value of citizen-science for conducting ecological analyses across large geographic areas.

Cleguer, C. et al. (2024), Pacific Conservation Biology 30, PC23036

Derville, S. et al. (2022), Scientific Reports, 12(552)

UNEP (2016)

The second report presents current knowledge on status and trends in biodiversity and ecosystem services and their pressures, but also aims to inform the global community about the responses the West Asian region has made towards the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, agreed in Nagoya in 2010, and the associated Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

United Nations Environment Programme (2001)