Aerial dugong surveys in Moreton Bay and Hervey Bay. (Old ID 27706)

Principal Investigator

Dugong aerial surveys estimating population size have been conducted in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) since the 1980’s, providing a long-term trend and dataset. Aerial surveys are intended to be conducted every 5 years. The southern GBR was last surveyed in 2016, meaning the southern GBR surveys are 1 year overdue. Recent flooding in southeast Queensland has led to seagrass die off in Hervey Bay and the Great Sandy Straits and likely in other seagrass habitat that supports dugong. The southern GBR dugong population includes Hervey Bay and Moreton Bay, both of which are significant locations for dugongs. Both of these bays suffered significant floods in early 2022. Seagrass surveys of Hervey Bay in May 2022 revealed ‘almost no seagrass was left’. It is anticipated that, as occurred after the 2011 floods, dugong will strand and die, stop breeding and move out of previously important foraging areas. Further, surveys will contribute to the transition from human observer flights to aerial image capture and automated analysis, which will form the basis of future cheaper and safer technologies for assessing dugong populations.

10 Jun 2022 - 30 Jun 2022

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