The Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit

The Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit (www.conservation.tools) is a free, web-based resource for marine natural resource managers, decision-makers (government and non-government) and researchers. The conservation and... [ view full abstract ]

The Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit (www.conservation.tools) is a free, web-based resource for marine natural resource managers, decision-makers (government and non-government) and researchers. The conservation and management of dugongs and their seagrass habitats should be evidence-based and informed by research. The Dugong and Seagrass Research Toolkit works to support this by helping users to refine their research question and taking them through a decision tree that ultimately identifies the most appropriate tools or techniques to answer their research question. The Toolkit also provides information on the constraints of each tool or technique, including the resources required, expertise needed and the spatial scales at which the technique is most suitable. Technical Guidelines are available for each identified tool or technique.

In addition to helping users to identify the most appropriate tool or technique to answer their research question, the Toolkit also encourages the collection of standardised and comparable data which supports global dugong and seagrass conservation efforts. The Toolkit includes three streams of research: dugongs, seagrasses and the associated human communities – an important dimension for conservation, especially in coastal communities.

The Toolkit was developed by the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Dugong MOU’s Dugong Technical Group, a group of international experts (see www.conservation.tools/meet-the-experts/) and represents a partnership between TOTAL, Total Abu Al Bukhoosh, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and CMS Dugong MOU.