Scientists have verified that because to massive habitat degradation and murders, dugong are now considered to be extinct in China. The Chinese state council has provided the mammal with the highest level of protection since it was named an important national animal in 1988. There haven’t been any reports of dugong in China, though, since 2008.
This incident, according to scientists, should serve as a ‘waking up call’ for us to prioritise conservative actions. In the Royal Society Open Science publication, the study was released.
Lead researcher Prof. Samuel Turvey told The Guardian that the study ‘offers solid evidence of the regional loss of another charismatic aquatic animal species in China — tragically, driven once again by unsustainable human activity.’
The seagrass habitat, which is important to aquatic mammals, was soon degraded by human activities like coastal development and water pollution. Turvey added that eutrophication, in which algae blooms form as a result of human-caused increases in nutrients in the water, such as sewage, can also affect seagrass beds. This mechanism hampers photosynthesis and lessens light’s ability to flow through water.
Even while China places a lot of emphasis on seagrass restoration and recovery, it may already be too late for the dugong populations that once called those waters home.
Post Your Comments