Researchers say sediment from floodwaters reduced exposure to sunlight and smothered seagrass the animals rely on for food
Catastrophic floods earlier this year wiped out one of the largest and most important seagrass meadows in eastern Australia, increasing the risk that dugongs and sea turtles will become stranded, according to researchers.
Scientists from James Cook University monitored the health of seagrass meadows across 2,300 square kilometres of Hervey Bay and the Great Sandy Strait in southern Queensland.