Dugongs of Ashmore Reef and the Sahul Banks: a review of knowledge and a distribution of sightings

This dataset is from a paper by Scott Whiting and Michael Guinea (2005) on observations of Dudongs at Ashmore Reef and Sahul Banks, Australia. A small, but significant, population of dugongs (Dugong dugon) occurs on Ashmore Reef. One sighting in 1996, 130 km east of Ashmore Reef, indicates that dugongs could use other shallow shoals on the Sahul Banks. Individuals representing all age classes were present on Ashmore Reef. Cow and calf pairs indicate that breeding occurs on the reef and there is at least some short-term residency. The oceanic coral reef habitat used by these dugongs is unusual when compared to the coastal habitat used by other Australian populations. Situated between Indonesia and the Australian mainland, Ashmore Reef supports a population of dugongs whose genetic identity is uncertain.