Dugongs - wherefore art thou?

Arts & Sciences Science & Nature
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Saw this grim story just now

The Dugong Is Declared Functionally Extinct in the South China Sea

While the dugong also live in the waters off of Vietnam and Taiwan, their loss in the oceans near China undoubtedly paint a much dire picture of the cornerstone species’ future—and the future of other marine mammals as well

This led me to this also grim assessment from last year

Dugongs have not been sighted off Taiwan’s east coast since the 1990s, but they were once here in large numbers. Dugongs, cousins of the manatee of Florida, often mistaken by sailors as mermaids in the days of yore, once swam along the Formosan shore. A relic population still exists off the eastern coast of Okinawa to the north, and they are an ecotourism attraction to the south in the Philippines. They can be found as far south as Australia and far west in the Arabian Sea. Taiwan’s shore is now a blank spot for the species…

… a this video from 3 years ago

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The relict population inOkinawa has died out about 5 years ago. Only three were left for many years.

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Damn, that’s sad to hear.

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Very recent nature paper. Yes, sad. I’ve never seen one here, and the last we know of died from a stingray barb only a few kilometers away.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-09992-2

I have swam with them in Philippines Coron. Cool! Mum and calf.

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Bummer. so fishing and coastal development.

interesting they noted size decline and posible genetic decline, but seems likely less sea grass “fields” maybe plays a role in size? I guess inbreeding would be a problem with a small isolated population as well.

Any idea why taiwans are now gone? if the above article says anything, perhaps fishing and lack of food as well? Taiwan certain has some insane fishing fishing.practices, but were these ever intentionally caught? for sure nets would kill a bunch.

North of australia 70,000 :slight_smile: wonder what the differences are between the 2 regions haha :thinking:

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