Dugong Gallery

Wider Image - Great Barrier Reef At Risk

Tourists walk from a boat after diving in an area called the Coral Gardens located at Lady Elliot Island, north-east of the town of Bundaberg in Queensland, Australia, June 9, 2015. UNESCO World Heritage delegates recently snorkelled on Australias Great Barrier Reef, thousands of coral reefs, which stretch over 2,000 km off the northeast coast. Surrounded by manta rays, dolphins and reef sharks, their mission was to check the health of the world's largest living ecosystem, which brings in billions of dollars a year in tourism. Some coral has been badly damaged and animal species, including dugong and large green turtles, are threatened. UNESCO will say on Wednesday whether it will place the reef on a list of endangered World Heritage sites, a move the Australian government wants to avoid at all costs, having lobbied hard overseas. Earlier this year, UNESCO said the reef's outlook was "poor". REUTERS/David Gray
PICTURE 5 OF 23 FOR WIDER IMAGE STORY "GREAT BARRIER REEF AT RISK"
SEARCH "GRAY REEF" FOR ALL PICTURES - GF

Tape seagrass (Enhalus acoroides)

Tape seagrass (Enhalus acoroides), apart from being a dugong food and shelter for marine species, it contributes to oxygenation of the seas as well as carbon sequestration, reducing effects of global warming. The strap leaves can be up to 1.5 m long. Okinawa Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japan

Construction Material, Edible, Indo Pacific, Large, Marine, Monotypic, Oxygenator, Plant, Sea Life, Seagrass, Shallow Water, Used As Fertiliser

Coastal saline flats meet mangroves

Coastal saline flats meet mangroves, that are a BirdLife Important Bird Area for the Grey-tailed tattler and Pied oystercatcher. The waters beyond are feeding grounds and nursery for animals of the nearby Ningaloo Reef, turtles, dugongs and Humpback whales. Exmouth Gulf (eastern shores), Western Australia

© Jean-Paul Ferrero/AUSCAPE All rights reserved