Why do dugongs undertake small-scale dugong movements (<15km)?
• Tidal movements – dugongs feeding on shallow seagrass may move short distances in response to tidal movements • Daily commuting – to forage among intertidal seagrass beds close to the shore during periods of high tide • Staying close to core habitat – dugongs express high site fidelity to core areas of high quality seagrass habitat, which they use intensively within small home ranges.
