Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species and as other specially protected fauna in WA under Schedule 7 of the Wildlife Conservation (Specially Protected Fauna) Notice 2015). Gaps in our knowledge in Western Australia include having a good understanding of the species’ distribution, abundance and high use areas across the northwest. This 3-year project (2014-2017) integrated Indigenous knowledge and scientific observations from field surveys to better understand the distribution, abundance and movements of dugong in the Kimberley region. The data collected also provides a baseline for future monitoring and management. This medata record relates to raw and processed aerial survey data of marine fauna collected between 21st September 2015 and 8th October 2015 in Kimberley coastal waters to the 20m bathymetry line, comprising dugongs (Dugong dugon), Australian snubfin dolphins (Orcaella heinsohni), other dolphins (bottlenose, spinners, false killer whales), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and large, mostly green turtles (Chelonia mydas). The WA Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA, ex-DPaW) and CSIRO provided additional resources to extend the North Kimberley dugong aerial survey boundary westwards (Broome to just past Port Hedland) to cover the South Kimberley-Pilbara coastal regions, to close the last remaining knowledge gap of the dugong distribution and abundance in Australia. This additional survey was completed in May 2017. Data from a trial movement study undertaken between 1-18th August 2016 also forms part of this metadata record. Five dugongs were tagged with Telonics manatee/dugong tags. GPS and ARGOS satellite detection locations and dive data were downloaded weekly from the ARGOS web site.

The Secretariat to the Australian Landcare Council provided a table summarising government and non-government investment programs in ILM. We used this table to guide our searching of web sites and other documents to compile an Excel spreadsheet which now includes 2,229 records of separate projects. We were not able to source complete data on a number of the identified sources of investment, including those from State governments, investments by private corporations and not-for-profit organisations. Nevertheless, the data set is the most comprehensive that has ever been assembled on ILM in Australia. While substantial literature exists on Indigenous land management, the relevant documents are widely scattered across internet sites, in diverse State and Territory jurisdictions, in regional and local government and non-government organisations, and across sectoral boundaries (e.g. water management reports, biodiversity management reports). We anticipate that the opportunities and barriers faced by Indigenous land managers may vary across locations, sectors and local/regional/national scales. A simple national maps was produced demonstrating the locations of specific studies contained within reviewed literature.