[91] This was discovered by Lieutenant R.L Rawlings in 1959 while on a routine patrol. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. [78], It has been confirmed that dugongs once inhabited the water of the Mediterranean[79][80] possibly until after the rise of civilizations along the inland sea. [86] This behavior is known as cultivation grazing, and favors the rapidly growing, higher nutrient seagrasses that dugongs prefer. [32] In the course of a study being carried out in 1986 and 1999 on the Persian Gulf, the largest reported group sighting was made of more than 600 individuals to the west of Qatar.

[10] There is evidence that male dugongs lose fertility at older ages. The waters around Borneo support a small population, with more scattered throughout the Malay archipelago. ", "Changes in the male reproductive organs of the dugong, Dugong dugon (Sirenia: Dugondidae) with age and reproductive activity", "Conservation of Chilika Lake, Orissa, India", Dugongs makes Gold Coast waters home after moving south from Moreton Island, "Reconstructing historical baselines for the Persian/Arabian Gulf Dugong, Dugong dugon (Mammalia: Sirena)", "Marine Biological Research in Mozambique: Past, Present and Future", 10.1639/0044-7447(2002)031[0606:MBRIMP]2.0.CO;2, Assessing potential World Heritage marine sites in the Western Indian Ocean – Marine mammals – Dugong, Whales and Dolphins, SAVING ENDANGERED DUGONGS OF THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN, The Wiomsa magazine – People and Environment, "A creature of mystery – rare dugong is sighted in Seychelles at Aldabra", "Observations of dugongs at Aldabra Atoll, western Indian Ocean: lagoon habitat mapping and spatial analysis of sighting records". [15] Capturing animals for research has caused only one or two deaths;[10] dugongs are expensive to keep in captivity due to the long time mothers and calves spend together, and the inability to grow the seagrass that dugongs eat in an aquarium. [citation needed], Dugongs have historically provided easy targets for hunters, who killed them for their meat, oil, skin, and bones.

Dugong populations in Madagascar are poorly studied, but due to widespread exploitation it is thought they may have severely declined, with few surviving individuals. The UAE has additionally banned drift net fishing. [98] The construction is expected to seriously damage the dugong population's habitat, possibly leading to local extinction.

[97] In August 2014, preliminary drilling surveys were conducted around the seagrass beds there. [17] Today populations of dugongs are found in the waters of 37 countries and territories.

[32] Reasons for this drastic population loss include illegal poaching, oil spills and net entanglement. Indonesia lists dugongs as a protected species,[10] however protection is not always enforced and souvenir products made from dugong parts can be openly found in markets in Bali.

[10] The Great Barrier Reef provides important feeding areas for the species;[29] this reef area houses a stable population of around 10,000, although the population concentration has shifted over time. At higher latitudes dugongs make seasonal travels to reach warmer water during the winter. [82] When moving along the seabed to feed they walk on their pectoral fins.[20].

[10] A calf will only leave its mother once it has matured. Kenya has passed legislation banning the hunting of dugongs and restricting trawling, but the dugong is not yet listed under Kenya's Wildlife Act for endangered species. [10] One of the lineages stretches all the way from Moreton Bay to Western Australia, while the other only stretches from Moreton Bay to the Northern Territory. Dugongs are part of the Sirenia order of placental mammals which comprises modern "sea cows" (manatees as well as dugongs) and their extinct relatives. [15] This number is reduced in areas where calving is minimal due to food shortages. The shallow waters are often used as a source of food and income, problems exacerbated by aid used to improve fishing.

Due to their poor eyesight, dugongs often use smell to locate edible plants.