India’s First Dugong Reserve in Palk Bay Gets IUCN Recognition

The News - Context

• Tamil Nadu’s Dugong Conservation Reserve in northern Palk Bay has been recognised at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 as a model for community‑centric marine conservation.
• The reserve was notified on 21 September 2022 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act), 1972 and it spans 448.34 sq. km of shallow coastal waters dominated by seagrass meadows.

What • Where • When

• The reserve is a Conservation Reserve that focuses on protecting dugongs and their seagrass habitats.
• It lies in the northern Palk Bay, off the Thanjavur and Pudukkottai coasts of Tamil Nadu, across the Palk Strait from Sri Lanka.
• The site was officially notified on 21 September 2022, and it received global recognition at the IUCN Congress 2025.
• The notified area covers 448.34 sq. km, and the mapped core habitat includes roughly 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows.

Why This Matters

• Dugongs are keystone herbivores that graze on seagrass, and healthy populations help maintain seagrass productivity and nutrient cycling.
• Seagrass meadows function as blue‑carbon sinks and as nursery grounds for fish, which in turn supports coastal livelihoods.
• Recognition by IUCN draws policy attention, encourages funding, and highlights replicable practices for Indian Ocean marine conservation.

About Dugongs — Habitat, Niche, Traits & Status

1. TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION

• Scientific Identity
• Scientific Name: Dugong dugon
• Order: Sirenia
• Unique Status: Only fully marine, strictly herbivorous mammal in Indian waters

2. HABITAT REQUIREMENTS

Physical Environment

• Water Depth: 1–10 metres (occasionally up to ~20m)
• Water Type: Warm, shallow, sheltered coastal waters
• Bottom Type: Soft sandy or muddy bottoms
• Essential Feature: Dense seagrass meadows

Geographic Distribution in India

• Palk Bay–Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu)
• Gulf of Kutch (Gujarat)
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands

3. ECOLOGICAL NICHE & ROLE

Feeding Ecology

• Diet Type: Obligate seagrass grazers (NOT algae feeders)
• Preferred Seagrass:
• Halophila species
• Halodule species

• Feeding Behavior: Selective cropping of seagrass

Ecosystem Engineering

• Feeding Trails: Create distinct grazing patterns
• Meadow Management: Reset areas to early-successional, high-productivity patches
• Nutrient Cycling: Enhanced through grazing activity
• Species Composition: Influence seagrass community structure
• Indicator Species: Health barometer for seagrass ecosystems

4. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Body Dimensions

• Length: 2.4–3.0 metres
• Weight: 250–420 kg

Morphological Adaptations

5. BEHAVIORAL TRAITS

Social Behavior

• Group Size: Solitary or small groups
• Movement: Slow-moving, quiet at surface
• Site Fidelity: Strong attachment to seagrass patches
• Migration: Local/seasonal movements tracking meadow availability

Diving Patterns

• Typical Dives: 1–3 minutes
• Extended Dives: Longer when undisturbed

Reproduction & Communication

• Mother-Calf Bond: Exceptionally strong
• Maternal Care: ~18 months
• Calving Interval: 3–7 years
• Vocalizations: Soft chirps and trills for communication

6. CONSERVATION STATUS

Protection Levels

Global Status

• IUCN Red List: VULNERABLE
• CITES: Appendix I (highest protection)
• CMS: Dugong Memorandum of Understanding

India Status

• Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I (Highest legal protection)
• Dugong Conservation Reserve: Established in Palk Bay (Sept 21, 2022)

"DUGONG" MNEMONIC for Key Features:

- Diving mammal (marine)

- Unique herbivore (only one)

- Grazer of seagrass

- Obligate feeder (specialized)

- Notable fluked tail

- Gulf of Mannar habitat

Threats & Evidence

• Habitat loss and degradation occur when seagrass beds are damaged by destructive fishing, coastal construction, or increased turbidity.
• Fishery interactions lead to bycatch in gillnets and to boat strikes in shallow feeding zones where dugongs surface frequently.
• Pollution pressures include trace heavy metals and other contaminants, which have been recorded in stranded individuals from the Palk Bay–Gulf of Mannar region.
• Climate stressors such as warming waters, stronger storms, and shifting sediment dynamics negatively affect shallow seagrass meadows.

Legal & Policy Framework

• Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, a Conservation Reserve protects government land and seascapes that connect or buffer core habitats and it is managed with community participation.
• Under the same Act, a Community Reserve protects community or private land where conservation is undertaken with local stewardship through a notified management committee.
• The IUCN Red List provides global assessments of extinction risk, and the dugong is currently assessed as Vulnerable.
• The term blue carbon refers to carbon sequestered by coastal ecosystems such as seagrasses, mangroves, and salt marshes.

Prelims Focus

• Candidates should be able to locate Palk Bay and distinguish it from the Gulf of Mannar, identify the adjoining Tamil Nadu districts, and recall east‑coast current patterns at a basic level.
• Candidates should confidently recall the species–habitat pairing of Dugong ↔ Seagrass, and avoid confusion with the manatee, which is not an Indian marine species.
• Candidates should differentiate Conservation Reserves, Community Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, and Marine National Parks, especially in terms of notification and governance.
• Candidates should understand the concepts of blue carbon, the differences between seagrass and seaweed, and the linked benefits to climate mitigation and fisheries.

PYQ Corner - 2015 — Prelims GS Paper I

Q. With reference to Dugong, consider the following statements:

1. It is an herbivorous mammal endemic to Indian Ocean.

2. They are listed in Appendix I of the CITES.

3. India’s first conservation reserve is located in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?

[A] 1 and 2 only

[B] 2 and 3 only

[C] 1 and 3 only

[D] 1, 2 and 3

Sources

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/india-gets-its-first-dugong-conservation-reserve-in-tamil-nadu/article65918239.ece

https://www.dugongseagrass.org/media/2022/09/2022-09-21-PalkBay-Dugong-Reserve-Govt.-Press-Release.pdf

https://nc.iucnredlist.org/redlist/amazing-species/dugong-dugon/pdfs/original/dugong-dugon.pdf