NESP 4.6: Developing Traditional Owner community-led dugong monitoring in the Kimberley region

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