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South Australia’s Toxic Algae Bloom Persists as Authorities Expand Monitoring and Launch Reef Project

Spanning 4,500 square kilometres, the bloom has triggered daily testing at 76 sites, the deployment of a AU$28 million relief package, the construction of an artificial reef to boost ecosystem resilience.

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A dead marine animal washed up along an Adelaide beach.
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Overview

  • Toxin levels are fluctuating across tested locations, with eight metropolitan sites showing increases and nine reporting declines, underscoring the bloom’s pulsating and moving nature.
  • The AU$28 million state-federal package underwrites clean-up crews, scientific research grants and a AU$300,000 artificial reef in Gulf St Vincent to accelerate habitat recovery.
  • All mussel farms have resumed operations and 90 percent of oyster sites are open following brevetoxin clearance in key harvesting areas, though 10 percent of licences remain suspended.
  • Citizen scientists have contributed over 20,000 marine mortality reports on iNaturalist, including more than 1,000 observations of dead creatures along a single 500-metre stretch at Glenelg in just two weeks.
  • Local fishing charters report daily earnings falling below AU$20, and health advisories persist after respiratory and skin issues arose among beachgoers and lifesavers.