A vast toxic algae bloom has sparked growing concern in Australia as it lingers off the south coast, killing hundreds of marine species and disrupting fisheries.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unlocked federal funds this week to cope with the Karenia mikimotoi algae as it persists four months after first appearing.
South Australia’s government said it was holding an emergency meeting yesterday to be briefed by scientists on the phenomenon.
Photo: EPA
The algae, which damages the gills of fish and suffocates them, stretched across 4,400km2 when it was first spotted in mid-March, the state government said.
While South Australian authorities hoped the bloom would disperse, it has instead spread across the region, the latest government update said.
A marine heat wave in the area had “largely abated,” it said, but remained in some deeper waters.
Beaches on wildlife-rich tourist draws such as Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula have been littered with the marine carcasses of sharks, rays, crabs and octopuses.
“It’s hard to overstate the extreme severity of the algal-bloom environmental crisis in South Australia,” University of New South Wales marine ecologist Adriana Verges said. “We are talking about extensive mortality of nearly 500 different marine species, including key habitat-forming sponges and other invertebrates, as well as fish. It’s completely devastating.”
Karenia mikimotoi has been detected around the world, including in waters off Japan, Norway, the US and China, since the 1930s, and disrupted local tourism and fishery industries, causing millions of dollars of damage.
Ian Mitchell, who manages a fish market in Adelaide, said some people had not caught anything since April.
“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen it,” he told national broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corp. “I’m speaking to fishermen on a daily basis, and I’ve got fishermen in tears on the phone.”
The federal government on Monday announced A$14 million (US$9.1 million) in financial assistance to impacted fisheries, cleanup efforts and research into preparedness.
Albanese said a “whole range of issues” had led to the event, including nutrient-rich floodwater runoff and above-average ocean temperatures.
Historically fishing and aquaculture industries can take years to recover from algae blooms, Australian Marine Conservation Society chief executive Paul Gamblin said.
“It’s an enormous red flashing warning that climate change has arrived off Australia and it is having enormous impacts,” he said.
South Australia has not previously experienced a toxic algae bloom of this scale or duration.
Local authorities have urged beachgoers to avoid swimming in water that is discolored or foamy, warning that it can irritate the skin and affect breathing.
Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and duration of marine heat waves across Australia, which significantly affect marine ecosystems.
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