African Journal of Marine Science 2011, 33(3): 441–452 Copyright © NISC (Pty) Ltd Printed in South Africa — All rights reserved AFRICAN JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE ISSN 1814–232X EISSN 1814–2338 doi: 10.2989/1814232X.2011.637347 Dugong abundance and distribution in the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique KP Findlay1*, VG Cockcroft2 and AT Guissamulo3 1 Department of Oceanography, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa 2 Centre for Dolphin Studies, Department of Zoology, PO Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa 3 Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Museu de História Natural, PO Box 257, Maputo, Mozambique * Corresponding author, e-mail:
[email protected] Manuscript received February 2011; accepted May 2011 Despite the distribution of dugongs Dugong dugon ranging across nearshore waters of the tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, their distribution in the western Indian Ocean is highly fragmented and appears to be declining. The population of the Bazaruto Archipelago is believed to comprise the only viable population in the region. In all, 27 surveys were flown over the Bazaruto Bay area to define the distribution and estimate the abundance of the species in the area. A total of 9 052 nautical miles of survey effort was flown during the surveys, from which there were 355 sightings of 760 dugongs. Two core areas of distribution were apparent within the surveyed area; a northern core area spread within the 10 m isobath between the Save River mouth and Ponta Bartolomeu Dias (21°24′ S), and a southern core area aligned with the shallow sandbanks to the north and south of Santa Carolina Island.