Large dugong <i>(Dugong dugon)</i> aggregations persist in coastal Qatar

Marshall, Christopher D.; Ansi, Mehsin Al; Dupont, Jennifer; Warren, Christopher; Shaikh, Ismail Al; Cullen, Joshua A.

doi:10.1111/mms.12497

Cited by 19 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…For example, in Australia, the estimated rate of decline averaged about 8.7% per year between 1962 and 1999, resulting in a 97% reduction in initial catch rates over a 38-year period 1 . The largest populations today are found along the coasts of Australia (10,000 dugongs) 5 , followed by the Arabian/Persian Gulf (6000) 6 , 7 , Red Sea (2000) 8 , New Caledonia (898) 5 , 9 , and Mozambique (300) 8 . Dugongs have completely disappeared from areas in Japan (Sakishima Shoto islands), Hong Kong, Maldives, Mauritius, Philippines, Taiwan, Cambodia, and Vietnam 1 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity in a unique population of dugong (Dugong dugon) along the sea coasts of Thailand

Poommouang

Kriangwanich

Buddhachat

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Dugong (Dugong dugon) populations have been shrinking globally, due in large part to habitat fragmentation, degradation and ocean pollution, and today are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Thus, determining genetic diversity in the remaining populations is essential for conservation planning and protection. In this study, measures of inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers and mtDNA D-loop typing were used to evaluate the genetic diversity of 118 dugongs from skin samples of deceased dugongs collected in Thai waters over a 29-year period. Thirteen ISSR primers revealed that dugongs from the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand exhibited more genetic variation in the first 12 years of the study (1990–2002) compared to the last decade (2009–2019). Dugongs from the Andaman Sea, Trang, Satun and some areas of Krabi province exhibited greater diversity compared to other coastal regions of Thailand. Eleven haplotypes were identified, and when compared to other parts of the world (235 sequences obtained from NCBI), five clades were apparent from a total 353 sequences. Moreover, dugongs from the Andaman Sea were genetically distinct, with a separate haplotype belonging to two clades found only in Thai waters that separated from other groups around 1.2 million years ago. Genetic diversity of dugongs in present times was less than that of past decades, likely due to increased population fragmentation. Because dugongs are difficult to keep and breed in captivity, improved in situ conservation actions are needed to sustain genetically healthy wild populations, and in particular, the specific genetic group found only in the Andaman Sea.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity in a unique population of dugong (Dugong dugon) along the sea coasts of Thailand

Poommouang

Kriangwanich

Buddhachat

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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“…Although robust estimates of population size are not available for much of their range, anecdotal evidence suggests that many dugong populations appear to have suffered a steep decline in numbers since the 1960s [2, 5]; many populations are believed now to be small and, where they still do occur, are represented by relict populations only [2, 6]. The larger populations remaining today appear to be off Mozambique, in the Arabian/Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, in several Australian locations, and off New Caledonia, and there is evidence for a reduction of the species' area of occupancy within its range [1, 2, 4,7, 8, 9, 10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date it is unclear exactly how many dugongs remain in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO, here defined as including regions from Mozambique to the Arabian/Persian Gulf), but it appears that the only viable populations are located in the Bazaruto Archipelago off Mozambique [6], off Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in the Arabian/Persian Gulf [7], as well as the Red Sea [4]. The few remaining animals present in other parts of the WIO are difficult to find and are only rarely sighted [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogeography of the dugong (Dugong dugon) based on historical samples identifies vulnerable Indian Ocean populations

et al. 2019

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We investigated the phylogeography of the dugong (Dugong dugon) across its original range using museum material from 14 natural history museum and university collections. The mitochondrial DNA control region was successfully amplified from samples of bone or tooth powder from 162 individuals. These samples range from 1827 to 1996 and span the historical distribution range of the dugong. We were able to successfully amplify overlapping fragments of the D-loop region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) resulting in sequences of a 355 bp fragment for 162 individuals for the final analyses. This included a new sequence (189 bp) from a previously unidentified piece of skin of the extinct Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), as an outgroup. The resulting dugong sequences match those from previous studies of dugongs from Australia and Indonesia, but revealed several new and divergent mtDNA lineages in the Indian Ocean. One mtDNA lineage includes most specimens from the Western Indian Ocean, with another distinct lineage isolated to nearby Madagascar and Comores. There is little geographic structuring detectable among other populations in the Western Indian Ocean and all populations from that region appear to have historically contained comparatively low levels of genetic diversity. The genetic diversity of several Indian Ocean samples collected after 1950 was lower than that of the samples collected earlier from similar locations, a result coincident with the anecdotal reductions in population size. The new lineages and potential loss of diversity highlight the particular conservation importance and vulnerability of dugong populations in the Western Indian Ocean.

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“…Additionally, seven individuals in the study moved toward deep-water habitat (30-50 m isobaths) on a seasonal basis (summer). SST collected from a representative location during 1 year of the study period (2015) ranged from ∼16 • C to near 35 • C, which is also typical for the region (Pilcher et al, 2014b;Marshall et al, 2018). SST began to significantly rise in June-July, peaked in August, and began to decline in September ( Supplementary Table S2).…”

Section: Drivers Of Offshore Migrationmentioning

confidence: 95%

Environmental Drivers of Habitat Use by Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Arabian Gulf (Qatar)

et al. 2020

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Understanding the environmental drivers of movement patterns are critical to the protection, management and recovery of endangered species. The Arabian Gulf is considered to be the hottest marine system in the world and is known for its extreme environmental conditions that pose substantial physiological stress on marine organisms living there. Satellite tags were deployed on hawksbill turtles in the Arabian Gulf and quantitative ecological modeling (i.e., Bayesian state-space models and GAMMs) was used to provide new insights into the ecological basis of observed hawksbill movement and behavior. Hawksbills used a relatively large core area in the southeast Arabian Gulf when transit and area-restricted search behaviors were included. The numerous hotspots identified suggest that important habitat occurs along a large area of the Qatari eastern coastline and into Saudi Arabia. Offshore islands with fringing reef habitat and deep-water habitats near the 30-50 m isobaths were intensely used. Hawksbills made seasonal migrations to deep-water habitat during summer months, typically once SST reached ∼33 • C and bottom temperature reached ∼32 • C. These data provide valuable information to managers seeking to conserve hawksbills in the region. Our data also provide a context to understand the underlying physiological, energetic and behavioral drivers of hawksbill movement in the Arabian Gulf. Future studies should include the use of biologging devices, benthic surveys, and dietary biomarkers to better understand the seasonal migrations of Arabian Gulf hawksbills to this deep-water region.

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Large dugong (Dugong dugon) aggregations persist in coastal Qatar

Cited by 19 publications

References 22 publications

Genetic diversity in a unique population of dugong (Dugong dugon) along the sea coasts of Thailand

Genetic diversity in a unique population of dugong (Dugong dugon) along the sea coasts of Thailand

Phylogeography of the dugong (Dugong dugon) based on historical samples identifies vulnerable Indian Ocean populations

Environmental Drivers of Habitat Use by Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) in the Arabian Gulf (Qatar)

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