Full Access
DUGONG (DUGONG DUGON) ABUNDANCE ALONG THE ANDAMAN COAST OF THAILAND
Ellen M. Hines,
Kanjana Adulyanukosol,
David A. Duffus,
Ellen M. Hines
Department of Geography and Human Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, California 94132, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorKanjana Adulyanukosol
Phuket Marine Biological Center, P. O. Box 60, Phuket 83000 Thailand
Search for more papers by this authorDavid A. Duffus
Whale Research Lab, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3P5, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorEllen M. Hines,
Kanjana Adulyanukosol,
David A. Duffus,
Ellen M. Hines
Department of Geography and Human Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, California 94132, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorKanjana Adulyanukosol
Phuket Marine Biological Center, P. O. Box 60, Phuket 83000 Thailand
Search for more papers by this authorDavid A. Duffus
Whale Research Lab, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 3P5, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
In 2000 and 2001, dugong abundance was estimated using aerial surveys in three provinces along the Andaman coast of Thailand. A microlite aircraft was used to fly aerial transects over seagrass areas. All surveys were done during rising tides as the dugongs came to the seagrass beds to feed. The largest population was found in Trang province. In Trang, the total number of sightings during 22 surveys was 264, out of which 31.5% were single dugongs. The largest group seen in 2000 was 30, and in 2001, 53. The maximum number of calves seen in one day was 13. The best minimum estimate of population abundance is 123 animals (CV = 60.8%) in Trang province. Higher numbers of dugong sightings and group sizes corresponded with higher tides until water turbidity impeded sightings after the highest spring tide. In other areas the number of animals seen was too small for population estimates.
Literature Cited
- Adulyanukosol, K., S. Chantrapornsyl and S. Poovachiranon 1997. An aerial survey of dugong (Dugong dugon) in Andaman coast, Thailand. Thai Fisheries Gazette 50: 359–374.
- Aragones, L. V., T. A. Jefferson and H. D. Marsh 1997. Marine mammal techniques applicable in developing countries. Asian Marine Biology 14: 15–39.
- Barlow, J. 1988. Harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena, abundance estimation for California, Oregon and Washington: I. Ship surveys Fishery Bulletin, U.S. 86: 417–431.
- Bayliss, P. 1986. Factors affecting aerial surveys of marine fauna, and their relationship to a census of dugongs in the coastal waters of the Northern territory. Australian Wildlife Research 13: 27–37.
-
Buckland, S. T.,
D. R. Anderson,
K. P. Burnham,
J. L. Laake,
D. L. Borchers
and
L. Thomas
2001. Introduction to distance sampling: Estimating abundance of biological populations. Oxford University Press,
Oxford
,
UK
.
10.1093/oso/9780198506492.001.0001 Google Scholar
- Burnham, K. P., D. R. Anderson and J. L. Laake 1980. Estimation of density from line transect sampling of biological populations. Wildlife Monograph 72: 1–202.
- Chambers, M. R., E. Bani and B. E. T. Barker-Hudson 1989. The status of the dugongs (Dugong dugori) in Vanuatu. South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme Topic Review No. 37. South Pacific Commission, Noumea , New Caledonia .
- Chansang, H., S. Poovachiranon 1994. The distribution and species composition of seagrass beds along the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand. Phuket Marine Biological Center Research Bulletin 59: 43–52.
- Dahlheim, M., A. York, R. Towell, J. Waite and J. Breiwick 2000. Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) abundance in Alaska: Bristol Bay to Southeast Alaska, 1991–1993. Marine Mammal Science 16: 28–45.
- de Iongh, H. H. 1995. Aerial survey of the dugong (Dugong dugon Müller, 1776) in coastal waters of the Lease Islands, East Indonesia. Marine and Freshwater Research 46: 759–761.
- Forney, K. A., D. A. Hanan and J. Barlow 1991. Detecting trends in harbor porpoise abundance from aerial surveys using analysis of covariance. Fishery Bulletin, U.S. 89: 367–377.
- Hines, E. 2002a. Conservation of the dugong (Dugong dugon) along the Andaman Coast of Thailand: An example of the integration of conservation and biology in endangered species research. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Victoria, Victoria , BC . 291 pp.
- Hines, E. 2002b. Conservation of the dugong (Dugong dugon) along the Andaman coast of Thailand. Pages 155–180 in P. Dearden ed, Environmental protection and rural development in Thailand: Challenges and opportunities. White Lotus Press, Bangkok , Thailand .
- Hudson, B. E. T. 1981, Interview and aerial survey data in relation to resource management of the dugong in Manus province, Papua New Guinea. Bulletin of Marine Science 31: 662–672.
- Humphrey, S. R., J. R. Bain 1990. Endangered animals of Thailand. Sandhill Crane Press, Inc. Gainesville , FL .
- Jefferson, T. A. 2000. Population biology of the Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin in Hong Kong waters. Wildlife Monographs 144.
- Lefebvre, L. W, B. B. Ackerman, K. M. Portier and K. H. Pollock 1995. Aerial survey as a technique for estimating trends in manatee population size—problems and prospects. Pages 63–74 in T. J. O'Shea, B. B. Ackerman and H.F Percival, eds. Population biology of the Florida manatee. Information and Technology Report 1, U. S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Service, Washington , DC .
- Marsh, H. 1995a. Fixed-width aerial transects for determining dugong populations sizes and distribution patterns. Pages 56–62 in T. J. O'Shea, B. B. Ackerman and H. F. Percival eds, Population biology of the Florida manatee. Information and Technology Report 1, U. S. Department of the Interior National Biological Service, Washington , DC .
- Marsh, H. 1995b. The life history, pattern of breeding, and population dynamics of the dugong. Pages 75–83 in T. J. O'Shea, B. B. Ackerman and H. F. Percival eds, Population biology of the Florida manatee. Information and Technology Report 1, U. S. Department of the Interior, National Biological Service, Washington , DC .
- Marsh, H. 1995c. The limits of detectable change. Pages 122–130 in C. G. Grigg, P. T. Hale and D. Lunney eds, Conservation through sustainable use of wildlife. Centre for Conservation Biology, University of Queensland, Australia .
- Marsh, H., W. K. Saalfeld 1990. The distribution and abundance of dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park south of Cape Bedford. Australian Wildlife Research 17: 511–524.
- Marsh, H., D. F. Sinclair 1989a. An experimental evaluation of dugong and sea turtle aerial survey techniques. Australian Wildlife Research 16: 639–650.
- Marsh, H., D. F. Sinclair 1989b. Correcting for visibility bias in strip transect aerial surveys of aquatic fauna. Journal of Wildlife Management 53: 1017–1024.
- Marsh, H., P. Corkeron, I. R. Lawler, J. M. Lanyon and A. R. Preen 1996. The status of the dugong in the southern Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. GBRMP Research Publication No. 41. Queensland , Australia . 80 pp.
- Marsh, H., C. Eros, P. Corkeron 1999. A conservation strategy for dugongs: Implications of Australian research. Marine and Freshwater Research 50: 979–990.
- Marsh, H., H. Penrose, C. Eros 2002. Dugong: Status reports and action plans for countries and territories. UNEP/DEWA/RS.02–1.
- Miller, K. E., B. B. Ackerman, L. W. Lefebvre and K. B. Clifton 1998. An evaluation of strip-transect aerial survey methods for monitoring manatee populations in Florida. Wildlife Society Bulletin 26: 561–570.
- Pollock, K. H., H. D. Marsh, I. R. Lawler, M. W. Alldredge. In press. Estimating animal abundance in heterogeneous environments: An application to aerial surveys for dugongs. Journal of Wildlife Management.
- Poochaviranon, S. 2000. Species composition and their depth distribution of seagrass beds along the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand. Biologica Marine Mediterranea 7: 412–416.
- Preen, A. 1998. Marine protected areas and dugong conservation along Australia's Indian Ocean coast. Environmental Management 22: 173–181.
- Rathbun, G. B., R. L. Brownell, K. Ralls and J. Engbring 1988. Status of dugongs in waters around Palau. Marine Mammal Science 4: 265–270.
- Reynolds, J. E., D. K. Odell 1991. Manatees and dugongs. Facts on File, New York , NY .
- Taylor, B. L. and T. Gerrodette 1993. The use of statistical power in conservation biology: The vaquita and the northern spotted owl. Conservation Biology 7: 489–500.
- Thomas, L., J. L. Laake, J. F. Derry, S. T. Buckland, D. L. Borchers, D. R. Anderson, K. P. Burnham, S. Strindberg, S. L. Hedley, M. L. Burt, F. Marques, J. H. Pollard R. M. Fewster 1998. Distance 3.5. Release 6. Research Unit for Wildlife Population Assessment, University of St. Andrews, UK . Available from http://www.mwpa.st-and.ac.uk/distance.
- Yoshida, H., K. Shirakihara, H. Kishino 1997. A population size estimate of the finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides, from aerial sighting surveys in Ariake Sound and Tachibana Bay, Japan. Researches on Population Ecology 39: 239–247.
