Seagrass shortage threatens Thai dugong population
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reported that nearly 40% of dugongs stranded last year were underweight, primarily due to a shortage of seagrass, their main food source.
In January, the DMCR and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Thailand conducted a survey to assess the dugong crisis along the Andaman coast. The findings indicated a critical state of the ocean ecosystem, with many seagrass meadows in Trang, Krabi, and Phuket severely degraded.
Consequently, numerous dugongs have been forced to relocate from their natural feeding areas, with the number of stranded dugongs rising at an alarming rate.
The report noted that the reasons for seagrass degradation remain unclear, though several factors are likely contributing, such as sediment accumulation, coastal encroachment, rising sea temperatures, and the impact of seagrass predators. Some seagrass species struggle to recover quickly.
From 2023 to 2024, the average number of stranded dugongs increased to 42 compared to 20 from 2019 to 2022. Approximately 40% were malnourished, according to Eknarin Ariyavongvivat, director of marine and coastal resources conservation at WWF Thailand, speaking yesterday, March 8.
The report also revealed a decline in the birth rate, dropping from 9% between 2020 and 2023 to just 3% in 2024, said Eknarin.
“This survey has enhanced our understanding of the situation and highlighted the need for both short-term and long-term conservation strategies.”
WWF Thailand aims to elevate seagrass and dugong protection to a national priority.
“Seagrass is the backbone of coastal ecosystems. Neglecting it could lead to the extinction of dugongs and disrupt the balance of the Andaman Sea. It is estimated that only 100 dugongs remain. Immediate action is necessary to save them.”
Since the beginning of the year, the DMCR team has discovered seven deceased dugongs, reported Bangkok Post.
In similar news, in response to the recent discovery of several dead dugongs, efforts to protect the species have been ramped up.
Chalermchai Sri-on, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, revealed new measures aimed at safeguarding these vulnerable marine mammals, whose survival is increasingly jeopardized by the loss of seagrass meadows—an essential food source for the world’s only herbivorous marine animal.
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