Dugongs have high cultural value and are a valued source of food, medicine and artifacts and thus are an important species for coastal people. Dugongs also play a significant ecological role in maintaining coastal habitats.
Humankind has long felt a kinship of ocean-dwelling mammals, and human culture, customs, and literature abound with sea mammal lore. This volume covers 19 families in 3 orders. Sirenians (like manatees) are evolutionarily distant from both pinnipeds (meaning "fin-footed") and cetaceans, but ecological similarity argues for keeping these three groups together in one volume.
The dugong (Dugong dugon) is the only herbivorous mammal that is strictly marine. It has a range spanning some 37 countries, including tropical and subtropical coastal and island waters. This plan presents a global overview of the status of the dugong and its management throughout its range.
