NESP MaC Project 4.2 - Assessing dugong distribution and abundance in the southern Gulf of

A 2024-2026 collaborative study assessing dugong populations in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. The project, involving Aboriginal ranger groups, Traditional Owners, scientists, and government representatives, outputs spatial data on dugong distribution and a final technical report. It aims to inform local and regional conservation management through contemporary data on abundance, distribution, and genetic population structuring.

Use Cases

• Modeling dugong population genetics based on the described genetic sampling component.
• Mapping marine megafauna hotspots using data from the described Indigenous-led drone surveys.
• Informing cross-border conservation policy based on the standardised aerial survey data mentioned in the description.
• Assessing regional dugong abundance trends by combining this project's data with other NESP investments in Queensland and Western Australia.

Strengths

• Project involves a co-design approach with multiple stakeholders including Aboriginal ranger groups and government representatives.
• Applies consistent assessment approaches across three Australian states in combination with other NESP investments.
• Outputs include both spatial datasets and a technical report with policy recommendations.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Co-designed program involving aerial surveys, drone surveys, and genetic sampling.

Time Range

2024-2026

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 20:29:30.413885; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia