The National Museum of Qatar, in collaboration with ExxonMobil Research Qatar, presents a special exhibition on dugongs. These shy marine mammals have inhabited the waters surrounding Qatar's peninsula for more than 7,500 years.
ExxonMobil
Lead Sponsor
The Arabian Gulf is home to the world's second-largest population of dugongs, after Australia. Recently, the largest herds in the world, comprising between 600 to 700 dugongs, have been recorded in Qatar.
In recognition of their special cultural and environmental significance, the dugong was chosen by the National Museum of Qatar to be its official mascot.
Dugongs are large mammals that live in seawater and feed on seagrass. They have grey skin, paddle-like flippers, and a horizontal tail called a fluke. These anatomical features help them navigate their environment. Dugongs can reach over three metres in length and more than 550kg in weight.
These features set them apart from other animal relatives. Dugongs are classified as Sirenians and they are the last living species in the family Dugongidae.
“ The dugong’s name probably comes from one of the languages of the central Philippines. In Arabic, dugongs are called baqarat albahr, which translates to 'sea cow'. ”NMoQ: Seagrass Tales, Dugong Trails
Dugongs are the only completely marine mammal that has a diet consisting solely of sea grass.
As large sea living mammals, dugongs have distinct anatomical features that enable them to thrive in the water. Explore the slideshow below to find out more.
Snout: Dugongs' broad muzzle and mouth are filled with bristly whiskers, angled down to help them reach for food. They have a great sense of touch using their snout and whiskers. Their bristles detect plants on the sea floor, and the snout helps them pull them out.
Tusks: Adult male dugongs will develop tusks that can reach up to 25cm.
Eyes and Ears: Dugongs do not have good eyesight. Their eyes are small, and they do not rely on this sense to navigate their environment. They do have a sharp sense of hearing with their ears located on the sides of their head.
Nostrils: Dugongs are mammals and breathe oxygen from above the surface of the water through their nostrils. They can hold their breath for up to 11 minutes and dive up to 33 metres to feed. Like other marine mammals, their sense of smell is not very well developed.
Skin: Their skin is thick and smooth with hairlike whiskers. The colour of their skin evolves over time; pale grey for calves and darker deep grey covered with algae for adults. Through their hair around their body, they feel their surroundings to navigate, find each other, and locate food.
Flippers: Paddle-shaped flippers help dugongs swim, slow down and turn. Mother dugongs feed their calves from their armpits, which are located underneath their flippers.
Tail: Their fluked tail resembles that of dolphins. The flukes move up and down to push dugongs forward. The fore-flippers help them to manoeuvre, turn, slow down and push off the sea floor.
Palaeontologists have discovered dugong fossils in Qatar. These fossils confirm that dugongs have lived here for millions of years. Today, dugongs live around Qatar. In the winter they can be found in two hot spots: in the southeast between Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, and in the northwest between Qatar and Bahrain.
Dugongs can migrate long distances – even from one country to another!
They can be found alone or in pairs (a mother and a calf), but have been spotted in larger herds in north-west Qatar. Around this area, scientists have recorded the largest groups of dugongs (more than 600) swimming in the sea. Scientists from Qatar University, Texas A&M University at Galveston, and EMRQ (funded by the Qatar National Research Fund) are currently studying this unusual phenomenon.
A group of dugongs is referred to as a herd, or in some cases a nutcluster
Like many other animals, dugongs have their own unique habits and behaviours. Dugongs live a semi-nomadic life: as calves with their mother and as grown-ups alone. Throughout their lives, they spend their time eating seagrass.
Scientists study their behaviour through observation. Still, we have limited information, as they can be very shy.
Dugongs and their calves share an intimate bond. Mothers usually give birth to one calf every three to six years. Calves grow up with their mother until they are about two years old, when they are mature enough to be on their own.
Mothers and calves communicate through touch. They touch each other’s flippers or rub their noses for reassurance. Calves climb on their mother’s back or swim underneath her for protection.
Eating is the dugongs’ main activity! Dugongs eat seagrass found in shallow, clear, warm waters. Once they reach for their food, they use their muscular snouts and bristles to dig up the roots and pull the seagrass from the sea floor.
The fact that dugongs feed on seagrass is part of the seagrass meadow’s lifecycle.
In the short run, intense eating allows the seagrass to grow, which creates new habitat and nurseries for other inhabitants. In the long run, stirring up the sand and removing plants recycles nutrients and lets energy flow. This helps meadows develop and host more fish.
Dugongs eat around 40kg of seagrass per day.
How much food is 40kg? That's around 800 eggs or 180 burgers in weight! Although these numbers are mind-blowing, remember, seagrass is not as nutritious as our food. Dugongs have to eat this much to sustain themselves.
However, they prefer seagrass, which is more nutritious and is easy to digest. This means that they give priority to quality and not to quantity.
The seagrass habitat is the dugong’s only source of nutrition and home to many different species of marine life. Seagrass meadows and their inhabitants support a life cycle that maintains biodiversity. However, fishing nets, boats and pollution disturb the balance of the ecosystem and threaten the dugong with extinction.
Seagrass grows on the seabed, forming underwater meadows. These habitats play a vital role in supporting the Arabian Gulf’s ecosystems. They are a nursery and a shelter for species such as young fish, shrimps, and oysters. They are also an important source of food for many sea creatures, such as green sea turtles. In the Arabian Gulf, only three species of seagrass can be found due to high salt levels and extreme temperatures.
Seagrass growing in ideal conditions
Damaged seagrass as a result of too much salt in the water
An illustration of a goatfish
Plastic is in great demand around the world. Because the material is durable, easy to shape, and inexpensive to produce, it is used in a great variety and number of products. But its popularity and durability have led to an increase in plastic pollution in the environment.
Recycling can help reduce pollution. Recycled plastic can be repurposed into new products such as clothes and shoes, building materials, furniture, toys and different kinds of equipment. It can even be used to make new bottles that can be recycled once again.
Recycling, however, can take time and energy, and at times it’s not even possible. What’s more, the same plastic can be recycled only two or three times. This is why recycling is only one part of the solution; reducing the use of plastic is another.
In Qatar, there are a few companies that offer recycling solutions.
Saving the environment is an enormous challenge, but also very easy. We just need to change some of our habits.
Plastic is the number one threat for underwater habitats. It does not decompose, it is toxic for the water, and a danger to animals. Scientists warn that if we do not change our lifestyle by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.
In the north of Qatar, where dugongs have been spotted, plastic bottles and packages get washed up on the shore every day. It is in our hands to protect the sea and dugongs by simply following some of the tips offered here.
Enjoy this collection of stories and anecdotes about Dugongs from visitors, recorded on site at the National Museum of Qatar between 10 June and 1 September 2021.
Sirenia: A Little Dugong’s Tale
Celebrating the 'Sea Cows' of Qatar
Dugongs at Risk
Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Dugongs
Our Environment
