Doha
ExxonMobil Research Qatar (EMRQ) and the General Directorate of Natural Reserves Private Engineering Office have completed a one-day field mission to locate live dugongs off the west coast of Qatar, as part of ongoing data collection efforts to better understand the distribution, abundance and behavior of the Qatar dugong population.
These efforts fall under a tri-party agreement signed in 2014 by ExxonMobil Research Qatar, Qatar University and Texas A&M University Galveston, with in-kind support from the General Directorate of Natural Reserves - Private Engineering Office and the Ministry of Environment.
The field mission earlier this month, resulted in video and photographic documentation of the dugongs as they traveled and fed in the area, and is the first time that live animals have been documented as part of current research efforts.
Dr. Jennifer Dupont, Research Director at EMRQ, spoke about the mission, saying “It is very exciting for us as scientists and marine biologists to come face-to-face with these fascinating creatures, and to study their behavior so closely. We are extremely pleased with the data we have collected from our research on dugongs so far, and will continue to make every effort to ensure that this rare species is protected in its natural habitat, in collaboration with Qatar University and Texas A&M University Galveston, and with the support of the General Directorate of Natural Reserves - Private Engineering Office and the Ministry of Environment.”
The large group of dugongs sighted off the coast included approximately 300-500 individual dugongs, many of them mothers and calves. Behavioral studies from the Australian dugong population indicate that mothers are highly interactive with their calves, remaining in close contact with them as they move through the water. A calf is weaned from its mother after 18 months, and will usually remain by her side until the next calf is born. These behaviors, along with dugong’s affinity for grouping together, indicate that dugongs are very social animals, and they have often been observed to communicate with one another by way of whistles, barks and chirps.
Dugongs are long-lived, herbivorous marine mammals that can grow to almost three meters in length and reach over 70 years old. Approximately 6,000 individual dugongs are estimated in the Arabian Gulf, making it the second largest population in the world, apart from Australia. Qatar is home to two out of at least three important habitats for dugongs in the Arabian Gulf, and is therefore strategically positioned within this iconic species’ range and critical to its survival.
Modern-day threats to the species, which is listed as Vulnerable to Extinction under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, include natural events such as cold stress and harmful algal blooms, along with human threats such as fishing and bycatch, vessel strikes, and coastal development leading to habitat destruction.
To date, more than 14 stranded (dead) animals have been reported under the project, indicating that the population is experiencing real threats in Qatari waters. Subsequently, future work will focus on collecting data to inform management efforts centered on the protection of this iconic marine mammal species.
EMRQ opened its facility at Qatar Science & Technology Park in 2009 to conduct research in areas of common interest to the State of Qatar and ExxonMobil. Scientists and researchers at EMRQ continue to advance projects in the areas of environmental management, water re-use, LNG safety and coastal geology.
Through the work conducted at EMRQ, ExxonMobil develops technology to bring energy to life in Qatar and around the world. EMRQ exemplifies how ExxonMobil is contributing to the Qatar National Vision 2030 by supporting research, safety, health and the environment.
Dugongs sighted during the field mission
