Dugong Conservation Centre at Manora: EAC Wants Design Revised
Why in the news
The Union environment ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) wants Tamil Nadu to rework the plan for the International Dugong Conservation Centre planned at Manora in Thanjavur.
About dugongs
- A large, slow marine mammal nicknamed the sea cow; scientific name Dugong dugon.
- Strictly herbivorous, eating only seagrass.
- A keystone species, since it helps keep seagrass ecosystems healthy.
Habitat
- Warm, shallow coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific.
- Seagrass meadows, estuaries, lagoons and nearshore waters.
- Unlike manatees, dugongs live strictly in the sea and never enter freshwater.
Conservation status
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
Exam angle
- Common name: sea cow; diet: seagrass only.
- Proposed centre: Manora, Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu).
- Body that sought the redesign: Expert Appraisal Committee, MoEFCC.