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Mawar, the male dugong, off Mali beach in Alor. Image courtesy of WWF-Indonesia\/Alda Rizkiani.<\/p>\n
\n A rare sighting of a dugong calf in Alor, Indonesia, has renewed focus on the health of the region\u2019s seagrass ecosystem and the species\u2019 fragile future.Conservationists say the presence of multiple dugongs indicates a thriving habitat, but threats from tourism, habitat loss and limited population data remain pressing concerns.Authorities and experts are pushing for stronger monitoring and coordinated conservation strategies under a forthcoming national action plan.<\/p>\n
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A rare sighting of a baby dugong off Alor in East Nusa Tenggara has sparked renewed attention to the importance of protecting Indonesia\u2019s seagrass ecosystems and marine wildlife.<\/p>\n
A short video was released Oct. 10 by the environmental foundation WWF-Indonesia showing the first documented appearance of a baby dugong (Dugong dugon) in the waters of Alor\u2019s Mali Beach, where conservationists have conducted monitoring since 2016. The calf was observed swimming alongside two adult dugongs, known as Mawar (male) and Melati (female), by a member of the Kabola Fishermen Communication Forum.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had seen the dugong calf before, but it usually avoided boats along with Melati, unlike Mawar,\u201d Onesimus La\u2019a, the chairman of the forum, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Mawar, the male dugong, off Mali beach in Alor. Image courtesy of WWF-Indonesia\/Alda Rizkiani.<\/p>\n
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Dugongs, close relatives of manatees, are the world\u2019s only marine mammals that feed solely on seagrass. Their global numbers have declined sharply due to hunting and the loss of seagrass habitats. With slow reproductive rates \u2014 year-long pregnancies and extended calf care \u2014 they face mounting survival pressures. Listed as globally vulnerable by the IUCN, their conservation status varies by region<\/a> and can be far more critical in some areas.<\/p>\n \u201cThe presence of two other dugongs besides Mawar proves that the seagrass ecosystem at Mali Beach, Alor, has the ecological qualities to provide habitat and food sources for dugongs,\u201d Ranny R. Yunenin, the national coordinator for the protected and endangered marine species program at WWF-Indonesia, said in the statement.<\/p>\n Ranny said her office would partner with government agencies and local communities to conduct a marine mammal survey in Alor this year. The survey will monitor dugongs, dolphins and whales to strengthen habitat management by linking population and behavioral data with seagrass conditions, she added.<\/p>\n Seagrass conservation in Alor involves collaboration between WWF-Indonesia and the regional marine park management under the East Nusa Tenggara Marine and Fisheries Agency. A 2024 survey found the meadows in Mali Beach to be dense and healthy, with 73-76% cover and eight recorded seagrass species, including Halophila ovalis, known as paddle weed or dugong grass.<\/p>\n \u201cIf seagrass rehabilitation is needed, our group is ready to help,\u201d Onesimus said.<\/p>\n The documented appearance of a juvenile dugong in Alor wasn\u2019t a surprise to Sekar Mira, a marine mammal researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), who was involved in the allocation of four priority locations for the dugong as mandated in the Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project in 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy to hear about the dugong calf sighting because dugongs are species sensitive to environmental conditions, so the appearance of a calf can indicate two things: that the environment supports them living there \u2014 in terms of water parameters, the cleanliness of the waters, and the habitat\u2019s food carrying capacity,\u201d Sekar told Mongabay in an interview.<\/p>\n \u201cMore importantly, the calf\u2019s presence suggests they feel safe there; perhaps after years of Mawar interacting with people he no longer perceives a threat,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Strandings, bycatch and occasional consumption, such as a documented case in Maluku<\/a>, remain persistent threats to dugong populations in Indonesia even though the species is protected by the Conservation Act. Meanwhile, seagrass meadows in the archipelagic country have been lost to climate change, pollution, coastal development and invasive species.<\/p>\n \u201cActually, population numbers for marine mammals, not just dugongs, remain a large knowledge gap in Indonesia,\u201d Sekar said. \u201cBecause we lack a good census or adequate monitoring to answer population size, and we can see threats still exist, when we assess the trend, we tend to answer \u2018declining,\u2019 even if not dramatically.\u201d<\/p>\n Sekar said Indonesian marine mammal authorities and experts are trying to address the absence of reliable population data in the country\u2019s drafted 2025-29 National Action Plan specific for dugong conservation. She said the plan will standardize monitoring methods across communities, researchers and NGOs, turning scattered sighting records into usable population estimates. Sekar added that experts expect the action plan\u2019s ratification will create a clear, coordinated framework that sets priorities, allocates roles and strengthens conservation efforts nationwide.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s delayed, there will be overlapping activities among stakeholders, and limited resources may be used inefficiently because we don\u2019t know which dugongs or areas are prioritized,\u201d Sekar said.<\/p>\n Marine mammal experts are also concerned about the growing tourism activities around dugong habitats, which could exacerbate stressing the animals and damaging seagrass ecosystems. They say sustainable tourism will depend on clear carrying capacity rules, regulated boat traffic and a strict code of conduct to keep interactions safe and nonintrusive.<\/p>\n \u201cThis includes regulating the number of boats, their speed and observation ethics, all of which must be enforced with discipline,\u201d Ranny said.<\/p>\n Sekar noted that dugongs could be considered an umbrella or flagship species, as protecting them also protects seagrass habitats that sustain fisheries, store carbon and support marine biodiversity. She said the long-term payoff of dugong and seagrass integrated conservation goes beyond ecological benefits, offering economic opportunities through eco-friendly tourism and stronger community stewardship of the sea.<\/p>\n \u201cAligning perceptions and understanding that this animal is important in the ecosystem must continue to be promoted because Indonesia is very large,\u201d Sekar said. \u201cNext, we must involve communities and be inclusive in program planning so stakeholders feel this is a shared responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Citation:<\/p>\n Pl\u00f6n,\u00a0S., Thakur,\u00a0V., Parr,\u00a0L., & Lavery,\u00a0S.\u00a0D. (2019). Phylogeography of the dugong (Dugong dugon) based on historical samples identifies vulnerable Indian Ocean populations. PLOS ONE, 14(9), e0219350. doi:10.1371\/journal.pone.0219350<\/a><\/p>\n Basten Gokkon is a senior staff writer for Indonesia at Mongabay. Find him on Twitter @bgokkon<\/a>.<\/p>\n See related:<\/p>\n Indonesia eyes seagrass zoning for blue carbon; experts urge community benefits<\/a><\/p>\n FEEDBACK: Use this form<\/a> to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/01-Dugong-Alor_Juraij-768x512.jpg\")
Dugongs are sensitive to environmental changes. Image courtesy of WWF-Indonesia\/Juraij.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dugong-alor-cWWF-Indonesia-Tutus-Wijanarko-768x512.jpg\")
Dugongs live in seagrass beds. Image courtesy of Tutus Wijanarko\/WWF-Indonesia.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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