Media release

From: The Royal Society

Dugongs have been of cultural and economic importance in the Indo-Pacific region for millennia yet are exposed to a multitude of human threats. Nonetheless, we lack an understanding of their population structure, preventing the identification of vulnerable populations for conservation priority. Analysing ancient DNA from historic specimens, we report significant population structure across the entire dugong range. We discover that western dugongs have 10-fold lower levels of genetic variation compared to eastern dugongs and that this diversity has been declining during the 20th century. Our results show that dugong populations are becoming increasingly susceptible to human impacts and climate change.