Mammals
Scientific Name: Dugong dugon
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable
The dugong, commonly known as the “sea cow”, is a large marine mammal that lives in shallow coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. This gentle giant is the cousin of manatees sharing a similar plump appearance, but has a dolphin fluke-like tail. The dugong is strictly a marine mammal grazing peacefully on sea grasses in shallow coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.
The dugong population in the Arabian Gulf is the second largest in the world after Australia.
Threats:
- Habitat loss and degradation
- Climate Change: especially via destroying seagrass habitats (their food supply)
- Fishing pressure, including incidental bycatch and ghost nets
