Search

Context: The dynamic habitat use by dugongs (Dugong dugon) in small coral reef lagoon systems spatially limited by tides is not well understood and has hampered adaptive management. Aims: We investigated how dugongs locally used a high conservation value coral-reef lagoon system during different seasons and tides to support local management. Methods: We conducted local-scale aerial surveys to document the seasonal and tidal changes in the distribution and number of dugongs over seagrass and non-seagrass coral reef habitats in a small lagoon in New Caledonia. The surveys were conducted fortnightly over 18 months in different seasons and at different tides. Temperature loggers and existing local footage of dugong herding behaviour were used to study the habitat use and behaviour of the animals in the area. Key results: More dugongs were sighted in Cap Goulvain during the cool season than during the warm season. As tides restricted access to the intertidal seagrass meadows and during the cool season, more dugongs were sighted outside the lagoon on the fore reef shelf outside the lagoon. Dugongs were resting in large aggregations during their use of this non-seagrass habitat. Conclusions: Our study emphasises the importance of non-seagrass habitats for dugongs in spatially restricted coral reef environments as well as the importance of considering outer lagoon habitats as key dugong management areas. This study also adds evidence of behavioural thermoregulation in dugongs. Implications: The development of dynamic management strategies is essential, especially where different habitats should be protected at different times of the year. The dugong's (Dugong dugon) habitat use in small coral reef lagoon systems, constrained by tides, is poorly understood, hindering adaptive management. Through aerial surveys, we examined seasonal and tidal variations in dugong utilisation in a high conservation value coral reef lagoon. This study reveals significant temporal variations in dugong habitat use, influenced by tides and seasons. It underscores the importance of outer reef habitats devoid of seagrass for the species. Additionally, it contributes evidence of behavioural thermoregulation in dugongs. This article belongs to the Collection Marine Mammals in the Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a powerful tool for conserving marine biodiversity when designed using ecological information and conservation goals and targets. Dugongs (Dugong dugon) were not an explicit target in the design of the network of MPAs in New Caledonia, despite being one of the region’s World Heritage values. Our study retrospectively assessed the capacity of the New Caledonia MPA network to protect dugongs from anthropogenic threats. We developed a spatially explicit model of dugong distribution and relative density based on information collected from ∼10 years of aerial surveys. We quantified the amount of overlap between areas supporting high densities of dugongs and MPAs. We found that most of the important dugong habitats of New Caledonia had a low coverage of MPAs that provide high levels of restriction on anthropogenic activities. We identified several important dugong habitats along the west and the north-east coast that were not covered by MPAs and should be a priority for future management. The spatial mismatch between MPAs and dugongs was likely caused by weaknesses in the planning process, including the: (1) lack of explicit conservation goals and targets; (2) omission of spatial information on species’ distribution; (3) mismatch of spatial scales; (4) cost considerations; and (5) incorrect application of the IUCN protected area categories. We provide guidance on how these shortcomings can be avoided for marine species of conservation concern in New Caledonia and other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]