Improving historical estimates of abundance and distribution of dugongs and large green turtles in western and central Torres Strait (Old ID 22259)

Department of the Environment and Energy
Role

Collaborator

Description

This project will improve the accuracy of aerial survey estimates of the size and distribution of dugong and green turtle populations in western and central Torres Strait by: (1) collecting and analysing data on their movements and diving behaviour, and (2) estimating the proportion of turtles seen during aerial surveys that are the large female green turtles harvested by Indigenous hunters. These data will then be used to (re) estimate the size and distribution of the populations of dugongs and harvestable green turtles in Torres Strait by (re) analysing historical aerial survey data collected in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2011 and 2013.

Date

01 Jul 2015 - 31 Mar 2016

Project Type

GRANT

Keywords

Dugong;Distribution;Turtle;Population Size;Torres Strait;Management

Funding Body

Department of the Environment and Energy

Amount

97674

Project Team

Rie Hagihara;Susan Curnock;Christophe Cleguer;Shane Preston;Mark Hamann