Dugong aerial survey to assess recovery in Hervey Bay (Old ID 30033)

Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW)
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