Literature Review: Distribution and Feeding of Dugongs in Indonesia

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-596-1_10How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Dugong; Seagrass; Feed; Distribution; Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the distribution and diet of dugongs (Dugong dugon) in Indonesian waters, a marine mammal protected under Government Regulation No. 7 of 1999 and categorized as endangered by the IUCN. Dugong populations have declined drastically due to various factors, including low reproductive cycles, destruction of foraging habitats, and illegal hunting. Dugongs swim alone or in small groups and often become stranded during migration. As the only marine mammal that relies 90% on seagrass for its diet, dugongs are nicknamed “seagrass specialists.” Seagrasses, flowering plants that live in shallow waters, play an important role as habitat and foraging grounds for various marine biota, including dugongs. This study identifies seagrass species that have the potential to become dugong food and their distribution in Indonesia. Of the 72 seagrass species worldwide, 14 are found in Indonesia. Dugongs prefer fine-leafed, low-fiber, and nitrogen-rich seagrasses. The most preferred species include the genera Halodule and Halophila. Dugongs are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. In Indonesia, its distribution includes Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Maluku, and West Papua. The highest dugong population is estimated to be in the Arafura Sea ecoregion. Despite its widespread distribution, dugong populations in Indonesia have declined sharply due to habitat loss, hunting, and water pollution. This study concluded that dugong sustainability is highly dependent on protecting seagrass habitat, its primary food source.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Juliana M. Sipahelut
AU  - Mintje Wawo
AU  - Juliaeta A. B. Mamesah
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/26
TI  - Literature Review: Distribution and Feeding of Dugongs in Indonesia
BT  - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Environmental Sciences, Agriculture, and Socioeconomics (ICESAS 2025
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 128
EP  - 138
SN  - 2468-5747
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-596-1_10
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-596-1_10
ID  - Sipahelut2026
ER  -