A new report from James Cook University (JCU) TropWATER reveals a long-term decline in dugong populations along the Great Barrier Reef, spanning from Mission Beach to Bundaberg, and Hervey Bay in the Great Sandy Strait. Aerial surveys conducted in 2022 confirm that this declining trend has persisted for almost two decades, despite Australia's renowned global status as the host of the world's largest population of these vulnerable marine mammals. Released this week, the 2022 Dugong Aerial Survey: Mission Beach to Moreton Bay report is part of a series of aerial surveys conducted every five years to monitor the distribution and abundance of dugongs along Queensland's coast.

https://www.miragenews.com/long-term-decline-in-gbr-dugong-populations-1093528/

#miragenews