Eastern end of Johor Strait hot spot for endangered dugongs despite shipping traffic: Study

Scientists found that 65 per cent of dugong observations in the last 25 years occurred in the eastern Johor Strait. - ST

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Researchers are calling for seagrass meadows in the waters off Ubin and Tekong to be gazetted as protected areas, after a recent study found that the eastern end of the Johor Strait remains a hot spot for critically endangered dugongs.

Drawing on sightings of dugongs near Singapore over more than 200 years, the study by National University of Singapore (NUS) scientists found that 65 per cent of dugong observations in the last 25 years – 31 of 48 records – occurred in the eastern Johor Strait, one of the busiest shipping channels in the world.