OBSERVE, PRESERVE & CONSERVE

The Association for Conservation and Protection of Dugongs was created in 2012, aiming to promote the conservation and protection of dugongs and other marine mammals in the Western Indian Ocean. 

We focus on the research and conservation of the dugong and its main habitat, the seagrasses. An increased knowledge on how dugongs locally interact with the different actors of their ecosystem is crucial for the development of an informed conservation plan. 

We believe that one of the key solutions to the conservation challenges facing dugong in the WIO lies in the development of conservation awareness in the communities’ youth. In our “OBSERVE, PRESERVE & CONSERVE” education initiative we aim to foster stewardship of the marine environment through interactive education programmes in local schools. Awareness that we believe will immediately extend beyond learners to their families and communities, and in the longer term will provide tomorrow’s leaders with an understanding of conservation and sustainability.