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All About Dugongs the Inspiration for Mermaids

Sunday, January 24, 2021
by Eliot Rifkin

Did you know dugongs are a cultural keystone species for Indigenous people? How much do you know about them? 

4ZZZ's Eliot Rifkin chatted with Professor Helene Marsh of the College of Science & Engineering from James Cook University in Townsville about dugongs.

Here's Helene's research paper "Dugong Conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park" and her bio

...and for a deep dive, here's some sites with general dugong info - Dept of the Environment, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park World Wildlife Federation, National Geographic, Marine Conservation Organisation.

Helene Marsh is a Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and the Dean of Graduate Research Studies at James Cook University. The focus of her research has been dugong population ecology, and she is internationally recognized as an authority on dugongs, providing scientific advice to governments and NGOs in numerous countries.


Eliot Rifkin

Eliot Rifkin is a Journalist and Producer on Thursday Brisbane Line

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