A Dugong Research Strategy for the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and Hervey Bay

A coordinated research strategy was developed in response to a request from a task force set up to implement decisions of the Great Barrier Reef Ministerial Council in relation to the conservation of dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef Region from Cooktown south.

The aim of this strategy is to advise research providers and managers of the priorities for information that will assist in the recovery and maintenance of dugong populations in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and Hervey Bay regions. It was developed through an extensive consultation process involving research providers, management agencies, potential funding agencies and representatives of key stakeholder groups including commercial fishers, indigenous groups and conservation groups. This strategy includes a prioritised list of research projects divided into four categories according to areas of management need. These categories and the research projects deemed most urgent are:

1. Maintaining or enhancing dugong numbers
   a. Long-term trends in dugong numbers
   b. Productivity of seagrass habitats
   c. Protocol for use of indigenous knowledge to complement scientific knowledge
   d. Improving the estimates of absolute abundance of dugongs
   e. Research for effective management of seagrass resources
   f. Causes of dugong mortality in carcass strandings
2. Minimise impacts of management decisions on affected groups
   a. Development of alternative fishing methods to mesh netting
   b. Local information and socio-economic impacts of Dugong Protection Areas (DPAs) on
   commercial fishers
   
3. Development of cooperative management arrangements
   a. Needs/constraints for developing indigenous management plans for dugongs
   b. Cooperative management of dugongs with indigenous groups
   
4. Enhancing the effectiveness of dugong protection measures
   a. Seasonal changes in dugong distribution
   b. Acoustic characteristics of underwater explosions in Shoalwater Bay
   c. Response of dugongs to underwater explosions
   d. Effect of changes in net fishery operations on dugong recovery
   e. Monitoring compliance and vessel use in the Hinchinbrook DPA

In conjunction with developing a list of priority research projects, a list of performance criteria was developed to assess the effectiveness of DPAs. These criteria involve both short-term (5 years) and long-term (> 5 years) measures of DPA success. Research projects are referenced to performance criteria and vice versa.