NUNZIUM

Known as the ocean's most gentle giant, the dugong is a unique character of the sea. Weighing in at almost half a tonne and it is the only vegetarian marine mammal. Scientists at Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Chinese Academy of Science reviewed all historical data on where dugongs had previously been found in China. They found there had been no verified sightings by scientists since 2000. Moreover, the researchers turned to citizen science to interview 788 community members living in those coastal regions identified, residents reported not having seen a dugong for 23 years. Only three people had seen one in the past five years. Researchers concluded that this beautiful mammal, related to the manatee and inspiration of the ancient tales of mermaids and sirens, is now irreversibly extinct in China. It still exists elsewhere in the world but it is a vulnerable species as defined by WWF. Dugongs are threatened by sea grass habitat loss or degradation because of coastal development or industrial activities that cause water pollution.  If there is not enough sea grass to eat then the dugong does not breed normally. This makes the conservation of their shallow water marine habitat very important. They also often become victims of bycatch, the accidental entanglement in fishing nets.