NESP 4.6: Developing Traditional Owner community-led dugong monitoring in the Kimberley region
Role
Principal Investigator
Description
keystone species with considerable ecological and cultural value across northern Australia. In the Kimberley region of Western Australia, dugongs have been identified as one of the top priorities to monitor in an effort to ensure the population is maintained and traditionally harvested in a sustainable manner. This project aims to have Traditional Owners and ranger groups across the Kimberley use cost-effective and culturally appropriate approaches to (1) fill knowledge gaps on the dugong’s population structure and connectivity at a range of spatial and temporal scales and (2) monitor the animals’ presence, density and habitat use in areas that are ecologically and culturally important to the local community and state and federal managers. This program directly addresses the national priorities of conserving, protecting and sustainably managing biodiversity through research and information management.
Date
01 Feb 2024 - 11 Dec 2026
Project Type
GRANT
Keywords
Dugong;Traditional Owners;Kimberley;Drone;Management;Monitoring
Funding Body
Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW), James Cook University
Amount
134414
Project Team
Christophe Cleguer