An orphaned dugong named Marium, who became an internet star after being rescued in Thailand in April, has died. Veterinarians caring for the dugong off the island of Koh Libong, in south Thailand’s Trang province, said an infection caused by ingesting plastic contributed to her death

Dugong (Sea cow or angel of the sea)

• Vulnerable — IUCN
• Strictly marine herbivorous mammal
• Largely dependent on sea grass communities for subsistence and is thus restricted to the coastal habitats which support sea grass meadows

Habitat

• Coastal areas, shallow to medium deep, warm waters with sea grass beds

India

• Fourteen sea grasses species are found in marine waters in country of which 13 are in gulf of mannar and palk bay areas
• It is listed in schedule I of wildlife protection act

Threats

• Incidental capture in fishing gear, shark nets for bather protection
• Hunting: legal (i.e. culturally sanctioned) and illegal
• Boat strikes and boating activities (e.g. acoustic pollution)
• Damage/modification/loss of habitat caused by human settlement on coasts, shipping, trawling destructive fishing, natural processes (e.g. cyclones and tsunamis)
• Threats to sea grass (including untreated sewage disposal, coastal dredging and reclamation, inshore commercial trawling, agricultural pollution)
• Chemical pollution (e.g. oil spills and heavy metal loads)
• Climate change (extreme weather events and high temperatures)