Overview

• Premier Peter Malinauskas designated the Karenia mikimotoi outbreak a natural disaster and matched federal support with $14 million in state funding to bring the relief package to $28 million
• The Australian Senate launched an inquiry to probe policy gaps and assess long-term preparedness for toxic algal events
• The independent Biodiversity Council’s seven-point plan calls for at least $10 million in immediate research, a sustained coastal monitoring network, emergency interventions for at-risk species and accelerated decarbonisation
• Public surveys have recorded over 14,000 marine deaths across more than 450 species, forcing fishery closures, aquaculture shutdowns and tourism disruptions
• Scientists warn the bloom could reach Upper Spencer Gulf and wipe out the giant cuttlefish breeding grounds, risking the loss of an entire generation