Rising Dugong Deaths in Thailand’s Andaman Sea
Coastal waters along Thailand’s Andaman Sea have recently seen a troubling increase in the number of dead or stranded dugongs, one of the world’s rarest and most endangered marine mammals. Known as the “sea cow,” the dugong ( Dugong dugon ) is a gentle, slow-moving herbivore that depends almost entirely on healthy seagrass meadows for survival. The growing number of strandings has alarmed scientists, conservationists, and local communities, raising urgent questions about the health of coastal ecosystems and the future of this iconic species. The Dugong: A Unique and Vulnerable Marine Mammal Dugongs are the only strictly marine herbivorous mammals and one of the last surviving members of the order Sirenia, which also includes manatees. They can grow up to three meters in length and weigh more than 400 kilograms. Despite their size, dugongs are extremely sensitive to environmental changes. Their slow reproduction rate — a single calf every three to se...