Movement Behavior of Manatees and Dugongs: II. Small-Scale Movements Reflect Adaptations to Dynamic Aquatic Environments

Deutsch, Charles J.; Castelblanco‐Martínez, Delma Nataly; Cleguer, Christophe; Groom, Rachel

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-90742-6_6

Cited by 9 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 147 publications

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“…Dugongs have been documented to move in response to changes in environmental conditions and forage accessibility (Deutsch et al, 2022a;Deutsch et al, 2022b), and in some cases, display avoidance to areas of anthropogenic activity (Anderson and Birtles, 1978;Anderson, 1982;Preen, 1989;Adulyanukosol et al, 2007;Hodgson and Marsh, 2007;Wirsing et al, 2007a). Yet, our study ascertained dugong feeding activity along seagrass meadows immediately adjacent to areas of high anthropogenic use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dugongs (Dugong dugon) along hyper-urbanized coastlines

Ow²,

Jaafar³

2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Coastal development and the increased anthropogenic use of sea spaces have rapidly degraded coastal habitats throughout Southeast Asia. We study how these activities impact dugong (Dugong dugon) population(s) along hyper-urbanized coastlines of the Johor and Singapore Straits through literature reviews and field surveys. Our review recovered sixty-nine live observations and carcass observations of dugongs between 1820 and 2021. The eastern Johor Strait is identified as a dugong hotspot. We observed peaks in observations coincident with the Northeast and Southwest monsoons. Distribution patterns of dugong observations were likely driven by a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors such as seasonality in seagrass abundance, tidal cycles, wind patterns and vessel traffic. Our field surveys ascertained active foraging sites along the anthropogenically disturbed Johor Strait and western Singapore Strait. Evident from our study is the importance of reef-associated seagrass meadows as refugia for foraging dugongs along areas of high anthropogenic use. This study provides an ecological baseline for dugong research along the Johor and Singapore Straits—within the data-poor western Malay Archipelago—, and aids in the design of sustainable management strategies and conservation programs for dugongs along areas where urbanization is commonplace.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dugongs (Dugong dugon) along hyper-urbanized coastlines

Ow²,

Jaafar³

2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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“…Hawar and Murawah islands is within the large-scale dugong movement range (Sheppard et al, 2006;Deutsch et al, 2022), suggesting possible contributions of regional migration to the formation of Hawar's LDGs. The extension of the LDG occupancy area beyond the Bahrain-Qatar border further highlights the transboundary nature of the LDGs around Hawar.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Long‐term persistence of large dugong groups in a conservation hotspot around Hawar Island, Kingdom of Bahrain

Khamis

Abdulla

D’Souza

et al. 2023

Aquatic Conservation

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Predictable aggregations of large marine mammals are valuable conservation targets, but aggregated populations can also be exposed to site‐level threats. The globally vulnerable Dugong dugon has a wide distribution but is found in large numbers mainly in Australia and the Arabian Gulf. Though Australian dugong populations are well studied, much less is known of the dugongs in the Arabian Gulf. The spatial and temporal persistence of dugongs around Bahrain, with a focus on large dugong groups (>50 dugongs), was determined using an occupancy modelling framework supported by historical records, structured interviews, citizen science network reports, and small‐scale boat and unmanned aerial vehicle surveys. Historical records and current distributional studies confirmed that large dugong groups have been reliably sighted around Hawar Island (Bahrain) since at least 1986, forming large, clumped groups that persist almost year round. The largest recorded so far in the world, these fluid groups (maximum of ~700 dugongs) account for ~60% of the dugongs found in Bahrain and ~12% of all dugongs in the Arabian Gulf. The delineated occupancy core area of large dugong groups (~145 km2) straddles the Bahrain–Qatar border, reflecting the transboundary nature of these groups. Careful management of human‐induced stressors (in particular, fishing, boating, and coastal development) combined with regular monitoring of Hawar Island's large dugong groups and their seagrass habitat is critical to safeguard this globally important population. The effectiveness of any conservation management is predicated on strengthening cooperation among all range states in the Arabian Gulf. A key recommendation of this study is to establish a regional network of marine protected areas encompassing core aggregation sites for dugongs, particularly the Hawar Islands in Bahrain, the north‐western waters of Qatar, Marawah Island in the United Arab Emirates in addition to the shallow waters between Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates.

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“…Daily patterns in movements and habitat use have not been documented in Amazonian manatees, but the little information that exists is mostly from captive released animals (Deutsch et al, 2022a). Kikuchi et al (2012) recorded the swimming behavior of two rehabilitated-and-released Amazonian manatees in 3D, showing a maximum dive depth of 10.8 m in the wild.…”

Section: Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in the knowledge of the biology and conservation of the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis)

Amaral

Marmontel

Souza³

et al. 2023

Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Mamm.

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The last relevant work that reviewed the biological and conservation aspects of the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) was published almost 30 years ago. In these three decades, scientific knowledge about the species has advanced substantially. This review article updates knowledge about the various biological and conservation aspects of Amazonian manatee, summarizing the information present in the literature. Topics such as morphology, habitat, distribution, population aspects, food and feedings habits, reproduction, behavior, health, threats, status, and conservation efforts were addressed. The main actions already carried out, as well as the future strategies needed for the conservation of the Amazonian manatee, are also highlighted.

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Movement Behavior of Manatees and Dugongs: II. Small-Scale Movements Reflect Adaptations to Dynamic Aquatic Environments

Cited by 9 publications

References 147 publications

Dugongs (Dugong dugon) along hyper-urbanized coastlines

Dugongs (Dugong dugon) along hyper-urbanized coastlines

Long‐term persistence of large dugong groups in a conservation hotspot around Hawar Island, Kingdom of Bahrain

Advances in the knowledge of the biology and conservation of the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis)

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