UQ & SEA WORLD TEAM UP ON GROUNDBREAKING DUGONG RESEARCH!
Biologists from the University of Queensland (UQ) have teamed up with Sea World this week to develop strategies to accurately assess the reproductive status of wild dugongs.
Leader of the UQ Dugong Research Team, Dr Janet Lanyon, said that determining reproductive status of individuals is one of the most important factors for population modelling and effective management of a vulnerable species.
Dr Lanyon said that over the week, field biologists would sample a selection of dugongs, which are representative of both sexes and from adult, sub-adult and juvenile size classes.
Sea World Director of Marine Sciences, Trevor Long said that the sampling involves lifting wild dugongs out of the water to take a comprehensive series of biological samples to measure reproductive hormones plus an abdominal ultrasound to confirm reproductive state.
Mr Long said that a specially designed stretcher would be used to cradle and lift the animals from the water onto the deck of Sea World One.
“This is a very exciting study for us, and will allow us to capture comprehensive data never before collected”, he said.
The plan is to capture up to 30 dugongs in Moreton Bay over 5 days taking approximately 30 minutes to sample each animal.
Dr Lanyon said that blood and urine samples are important because they enable biologists to measure the circulating hormone levels in the dugong as they have been shown in other species such as Florida manatees.
