Dugong aerial survey to assess recovery in Hervey Bay (Old ID 30033)
Role
Principal Investigator
Description
Early 2022 floods in the Hervey Bay region have had a severe impact on seagrass meadows. Dugong mortality records combined with our late 2022 dugong aerial survey suggest that while some dugongs perished as a result of food deprivation, other likely have moved away from the Hervey Bay-GSS area while those that remained in the area have concentrated around the middle of Hervey Bay, over remaining deep-water seagrasses. While the deep seagrasses appear to be on their way to recovery there is still uncertainty as to whether and how seagrasses would recover in the inshore intertidal areas, and whether dugongs are going to repopulate the region as a result (no dugongs were sighted across the entire Great Sandy Strait in late 2022). Here, we propose to resurvey the Hervey Bay-GSS region to document the recovery of dugongs and sea turtles in the area. The timing of the surveys will be discussed and aligned with seagrass monitoring research.
Date
15 Jun 2023 - 30 Jun 2025
Project Type
CONTRACT_RESEARCH
Keywords
Dugong (Dugong dugon);Aerial Surveys;conservation and management;Aerial Imagery;Artificial Intelligence
Funding Body
Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW)
Amount
71818
Project Team
N/A