dugongs in health and disease helene marsh, carole eros, rachel webb james cook university and qdpi
TRANSCRIPT
Dugongs in health and disease
Helene Marsh, Carole Eros, Rachel Webb
James Cook University and QDPI
The modern sirenia (seacows)- dugongs and manatees
Distribution of extant sirenia (seacows)
Global conservation status of modern sirenia - dugongids and
manatees
Antillean manatee vulnerable
Amazonian manatee vulnerable
West African manatee vulnerable
Dugong vulnerable
Steller’s sea cow extinct
Aerial survey population estimates for dugongs ?
2,000
10,000
14,000 27,000
8,000
1,600
2,400
4,00017,000
Unknown
Stable
Decreasing
Large-scale distribution and abundance
Trends in dugong numbers Qld Shark Control Program
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
010
2030
4050
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Trends in dugong numbers: Shark Control Program
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5 Cairns Gold Coast Mackay
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
0
1
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5 Rockhampton
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Sunshine Coast
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Townsville
Du
go
ng
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ht
per
mo
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each
Change in emphasis for necropsy
• No longer life history
• What was the cause of death?
• Veterinary pathologists vital
Results of 1999 necropsy progam for Queensland
• Human induced
• Diseased
• Unknown
What can you do when asked to necropsy dead dugong?
• Read the manual
• Endeavour to determine proximate cause of death preferably in context of biology– age– diet– fat status