The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) announced that almost 40% of dugongs found stranded last year were underweight due to a lack of seagrass, their primary food source.
DMCR and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Thailand surveyed the dugong crisis on the Andaman coast in January.
The report showed the ocean ecosystem is in a critical condition with many seagrass meadows in Trang, Krabi and Phuket badly deteriorated. As a result, many dugongs have had to move away from their natural feeding sites, and the number left stranded is increasing at an alarming rate.
The report said the cause of seagrass degradation was not yet clear, but a number of factors were likely to be responsible, including sediment accumulation, coastal encroachment, rising sea temperatures and the impact of seagrass predators, with some seagrass species unable to recover quickly.
The average number of dugongs stranded in 2023–2024 was 42, up from 20 in 2019–2022. About 40% were found to be malnourished, said Eknarin Ariyavongvivat, director of marine and coastal resources conservation at WWF Thailand, on Saturday.
The report also found the birth rate had dropped from 9% in 2020–2023 to only 3% in 2024.
"This survey has helped us gain a better understanding of the situation and the need for both short-term and long-term conservation initiatives," he said.
WWF Thailand intends to promote seagrass and dugong protection as a national priority, he said.
"Seagrass is the foundation of coastal ecosystems. If we let it go, dugongs will become extinct and the Andaman Sea will lose its balance. It is estimated there are only 100 remaining. We must act now to save dugongs," he said.
He said the DMCR team has found seven dead dugongs since the start of the year.