* Size of the dugong: Larger dugongs will eat more than smaller ones.
* Availability of seagrass: If there's plenty of food, they'll eat more than if it's scarce.
* Individual preferences: Some dugongs might be more "picky eaters" than others.
Generally, dugongs are estimated to eat around 10% of their body weight in seagrass each day. This means a large dugong, weighing around 400 kilograms, could eat up to 40 kilograms of seagrass daily!
They spend a significant portion of their day grazing, and their diet plays a vital role in maintaining healthy seagrass meadows.