The Dugong Conservation Reserve, established in 2022 in Tamil Nadu's Palk Bay, received formal recognition from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi in September 2025. The global endorsement recognizes India's efforts to protect the vulnerable dugong, a large marine herbivore known as the "sea cow". 

Details on the Dugong Conservation Reserve and IUCN recognition

• Location and size: The reserve covers 448.34 square kilometers in northern Palk Bay, encompassing coastal waters of the Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts. This area includes over 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows, the dugong's vital feeding grounds.
• Global recognition: The IUCN resolution formally recognizes the reserve and encourages international cooperation to replicate India's community-led conservation model.
• Conservation strategies: The initiative was praised for its community involvement and innovative restoration techniques, such as using bamboo and coconut rope frames to rehabilitate damaged seagrass meadows.
• Community engagement: Local fishing communities have been involved through awareness programs, compensation for damaged nets, and rewards for reporting entangled dugongs. This has resulted in the safe release of captured dugongs.
• Biodiversity: In addition to dugongs, the reserve's seagrass habitat supports other vulnerable marine species, such as green and hawksbill sea turtles, seahorses, and whale sharks.
• Population recovery: As of September 2025, drone surveys by the Wildlife Institute of India estimated a population of over 200 dugongs in the Palk Bay area, indicating signs of recovery. 

Characteristics

• Appearance: Dugongs are large, gray-brown, bulbous animals with a flattened, whale-like fluke tail and paddle-like flippers. They have a broad, downward-pointing muzzle, which helps them graze along the seabed.
• Size: An adult dugong can grow to 3–4 meters (about 10 feet) in length and weigh over 400 kilograms (880 pounds).
• Lifespan and reproduction: Dugongs have a long lifespan, living up to 70 years. However, their reproductive rate is slow, making them vulnerable to population decline. Females typically give birth for the first time around age 10 and only breed every three to six years.
• Relationship to other animals: Dugongs are related to manatees, another type of sirenian, and even more distantly to elephants. A key difference from manatees is their tail; dugongs have a fluked tail like a dolphin or whale, while manatees have a paddle-shaped tail. 

Habitat and diet

• Habitat: Dugongs inhabit warm coastal waters across the Indo-Pacific region, including the Red Sea, East Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and northern Australia. Australia is home to the largest dugong population. They stay in shallow, protected areas such as bays and mangrove channels where seagrass is abundant.
• Diet: As herbivores, they feed exclusively on seagrass. An adult dugong can consume up to 30–40 kilograms (66–88 pounds) of seagrass per day. 

Conservation status

• Threatened status: The dugong is listed as vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List due to threats like habitat destruction, hunting, and fishing-related fatalities.
• Protection efforts: Governments and conservation organizations are working to protect dugongs through research, habitat protection, and regulations on boat speed and fishing. The UAE, for example, protects a significant dugong population within marine reserves. 

IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 highlights
The motion to recognize the Dugong Conservation Reserve was adopted with overwhelming support from governments and NGOs.
The resolution calls for international collaboration to strengthen monitoring systems, improve fisheries management, and share conservation knowledge with global dugong conservation programs. 

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