Latest news with #Kareniamikimotoi
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- SBS Australia
Could a $100 COVID-era incentive help 'devastated' algae-hit businesses?
As dead marine life continues to wash up on South Australian beaches, the state's opposition has called for a lifeline for the floundering tourism industry . With climate disasters starting to wreak havoc on Australia's holiday destinations, will tourism need a helping hand? The explosion of algae in the waters off the South Australian coast started with an unseasonably warm summer and a marine heatwave that pushed average temperatures up to 2.5C in many areas. This created an inviting environment for Karenia mikimotoi — an algae species that discolours ocean water and produces thick blankets of foam — to thrive. First identified in March, a mass of the algae stretched out to more than 4,400 square kilometres — nearing the size of Kangaroo Island — creating a toxic bloom that has killed tens of thousands of specimens from hundreds of different marine species. While not toxic to humans, the algae damages the gills and gill structures of marine life, asphyxiating them in the water. Ecologists have attributed the unusual severity and duration of this algal bloom to climate change, with many calling on it to be recognised as a national disaster. For weeks, images of lifeless fish, dolphins, rays and sharks on sandy beaches have appeared on news websites and social media pages. On Tuesday, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young posted footage on Instagram of the mangled body of a seal washed up on a beach, with a caption that read: "Our ocean is sick. Our wildlife is dying. Our economy and tourism is being crippled. Our local community is in shock." Tourism industry left reeling Those working in the tourism industry in the region say they've been left reeling by the algal bloom crisis and there have been mass cancellations of bookings across the region. South Australian Opposition tourism spokesperson Penny Pratt told SBS News she's been having conversations with tourism operators working from Robe, about 330km east of Adelaide, to the Coorong wetlands, about 130km east of Adelaide. "Their messages are the same — they're devastated, the fish are dead, the ocean is dying and they have been desperate for many, many months to get the attention of government to understand not just the environmental impact but the economic one," she said. To try to boost tourism to the region, Pratt has called for the South Australian government to relaunch the Great State Vouchers, which were distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic by the previous government to encourage visitors to the state. Pratt says the vouchers have been "proven and practical" and would incentivise South Australian households to spend their money reinvigorating the state's coastal communities. In October 2020, around 50,000 Great State Vouchers were snapped up within an hour in what the South Australian Tourism Commission's chief executive described as a "shot in the arm" for the tourism sector. South Australia's peak tourism body says hundreds of businesses have been impacted by the algal bloom. Source: AAP / Brad Martin/PR IMAGE "We've seen as an investment [on a $100 voucher] families spending up to four or five hundred dollars in regions as they pull into the servo, they visit the bakeries, they book into a caravan park and they explore a new region," Pratt said. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas recently announced a $14 million support package, matched by the federal government, that includes offering $10,000 grants for small businesses that can prove they have experienced a 30 per cent decline in turnover as well as financial counselling, mental health support and workforce advice. While the tourism industry has welcomed the support, South Australia's peak tourism body says hundreds of businesses have been impacted and they're concerned about the ramifications of the algal bloom dragging out to later in the year. "What we're seeing in tourism right now is significant cancellations of people undertaking trips to our coastal areas for spring and summer," Shaun de Bruyn from Tourism Industry Council South Australia said. The climate threat to tourism Australia has a large, sprawling tourism industry that currently employs around 655,000 people — mostly across regional areas. But its facing mounting challenges as climate disasters and other issues related to a warming planet increase in frequency. In a report co-authored by economic consulting firm Mandala and financial services company Zurich and published in September, managing partner of Mandala Amit Singh wrote that we are "already seeing the impact of climate change on tourism". "We've seen tourist attractions destroyed by bushfires, tourist sites made inaccessible by floods, man-made attractions damaged by hail, airports closed because of extreme winds," he said. The report assessed 178 tourism sites, including airports, across Australia and found that more than half were vulnerable to climate risks and severe impacts over the next 25 years. Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, a senior lecturer in tourism management at the University of South Australia, told SBS News climate disasters are starting to accelerate as the world passes temperature "tipping points" in global warming and tourism is vulnerable to these disasters. South Australia's algal bloom crisis continues to kill marine life. An Adelaide academic says tourism vouchers are a "great idea" to encourage visitors to South Australia despite its environmental challenges. Source: AAP / Matt Turner "We're seeing things like flooding and droughts and now the algal bloom here in South Australia ... But you know, also COVID, scientists say that pandemics will be increased by climate change. So, I think we're only just waking up to the multitude of crises we're likely to face," she said. Higgins-Desbiolles, who says she relies heavily on ocean swimming for well-being, says she has experienced the respiratory agitation and sickness the algal bloom is causing in some people exposed to the algae through swimming or walking on the beach. "It's bad, it's really, really bad," she said. "It's having a really negative impact on community." Governments stepping in to save tourism Governments have stepped in to help areas recover by subsiding tourism following climate-related disasters in recent years. In 2023, the Western Australian government announced a $6 million Tourism Flood Recovery Package to support tourism businesses hit by what was described as the state's worst-ever floods. Heavy rainfall across the Kimberley region led to flooding that smashed bridges apart, swamped communities, and caused the Fitzroy River to swell to record heights. The package focused on providing around 18,000 discounted airfares from Perth to drive tourists to the region. Following deadly storms that drenched south-east Queensland in December 2023, causing flash flooding and leaving tens of thousands without power, the state government released 50,000 vouchers worth $50 each as part of a $2.5 million scheme to boost tourism in the area. Voucher holders were able to spend the money on an experience on the Gold Coast, including the major theme parks. Higgins-Desbiolles said tourism vouchers are a "great idea" not only to encourage visitors to South Australia despite environmental challenges but also because they can encourage a feeling of solidarity with communities hit by climate-related issues. She says that following the Black Summer bushfires of 2019 through 2020 , which decimated vast swathes of Kangaroo Island, there was a movement in the community to visit the island and put money back into the local economy. "I really like that. I think in the future we are going to need that spirit of solidarity with each other," she said. Hanson-Young told SBS News she believes "all options should be on the table to provide support to tourism operators and local businesses doing it tough". However, she believes governments also need to start stepping up climate action to mitigate these disasters in the future. "Unless we start taking climate action seriously, we can expect to see more disruptions to businesses, including tourism, from future climate disasters and extreme weather."
The Age
23-07-2025
- Health
- The Age
‘Cyclone underwater': Why the algae disaster could hit Australia's east coast
The harmful algal bloom devastating marine ecosystems off the coast of South Australia is the largest of its kind ever recorded in Australia and could easily occur on the east coast, experts warn. On Tuesday, the South Australian government announced it will match funding promised by the federal government, bringing the total package to deal with the deadly Karenia mikimotoi outbreak to $28 million. The outbreak of the toxic microalgae was first discovered in March on the Fleurieu Peninsula, and has since spread to the Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Gulf Saint Vincent and Spencer Gulf. Beachgoers and scientists have documented a vast array of sea creatures washing up dead on beaches. An online citizen science project has identified 450 species killed by the bloom, with the most affected being Southern Fiddler rays. 'It's the biggest bloom of Karenia mikimotoi we've experienced in Australia, but [not] anywhere in the world,' said Professor Shauna Murray, a marine biologist at the University of Technology Sydney. 'There have been larger blooms of Karenia mikimotoi in northern China – it's been very problematic there.' What caused the toxic algal bloom in South Australia? SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said three factors had contributed to the deadly outbreak. The 2022-23 Murray River floods, the biggest since 1956, had forced the largest volume of nutrients from the Murray-Darling system into the marine environment for 70 years.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-07-2025
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Cyclone underwater': Why the algae disaster could hit Australia's east coast
Second, during the following summer, a longer-than-ever Bonney Upwelling – the natural phenomenon in South Australia that brings up nutrient-rich water from deepwater to the surface – was recorded. Loading Finally, the ongoing marine heatwave means the waters around South Australia have been 2.5 degrees hotter than usual since last year. 'That allowed the algae, that was always there, to explode in its volume,' Malinauskus told reporters on Tuesday. 'It is reasonable to assume that we will see other events of this nature elsewhere in the country and other parts of the world.' Could it happen on Sydney or Melbourne coastlines? Murray said this was not only possible but 'quite likely', given it has already happened in the eastern states on a smaller scale. Murray said previous outbreaks of Karenia mikimotoi in NSW and Victoria, as well as other harmful algal blooms, had affected fishing and aquaculture by making fish unsafe to eat. 'In terms of water column conditions and how similar it would be on the [east] coast, we have upwelling events ... we've had marine heatwaves, we've had all of those things,' Murray said. Loading Can anything be done to fix the algal bloom? The SA government has said 'nothing can be done naturally to dilute or dissipate the bloom'. Murray said Korea and Japan had decades of experience dealing with harmful algal blooms affecting aquaculture facilities, and had researched several strategies, including sprinkling clay into the water to sink the algae. Yet this had not been studied in the Australian environment. 'We simply don't have any data to back up whether any of those methods would work, and most importantly, whether or not they would actually cause additional damage to the marine environment,' she said. How is it harmful to marine life? Karenia mikimotoi has choked ecosystems of oxygen, killing everything from bivalves, worms and cuttlefish to sharks, rays and dolphins. 'It's similar in effect to a cyclone underwater,' Murray said. Marine scientist Janine Baker from the Great Southern Reef Foundation said there would be long-term and widespread environmental, social and economic impacts. 'It's dreadful – I've never seen anything like this in the 35 years I've been working in the marine environment,' Baker said. 'What concerns me is that because there are so many vacant niches now, it will promote the settlement of opportunistic and potentially invasive species.' She said there were already introduced species from overseas and eastern Australia – such as long-spined sea urchins – and the problem was increasing with warming southern oceans. Why won't the federal government declare it a national disaster? Federal Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt has said the Commonwealth Natural Disaster Framework was designed for events such as bushfires and cyclones, and the algal bloom did not fit the bill. He argued the point of declaring a natural disaster was to unlock funding, and this was moot because he obtained $14 million in federal assistance anyway. Dr Scott Bennett from University of Tasmania's Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies said the government should treat the bloom as a natural disaster. 'The federal government needs to not treat this as an isolated event or a localised event – this is symptomatic of a broader national issue,' Bennett said. 'We're seeing more intense and more frequent marine heatwaves occurring around the country.' What scientific research needs to happen? Loading The SA government said the $28 million package will include beach clean-up, assistance for affected businesses and $13.5 million earmarked for science and monitoring. That includes $8.5 million for a coastal monitoring network, $3 million for rapid assessment of fish stocks using remote underwater video surveys and dive surveys, and $2 million for a new national testing laboratory in South Australia for harmful algal bloom and brevetoxin/biotoxin testing. (At present, samples are sent to New Zealand for analysis.) The catastrophe is affecting the Great Southern Reef, a rocky reef rich in biodiversity that extends from NSW, around the southern side of the continent and up the coast of Western Australia. Bennett and other research partners in the Great Southern Reef Foundation have called for $40 million over 10 years for baseline research into the reef. However, Bennett acknowledged the research focus needed to be on South Australia right now, first diagnosing the extent of the problem and then focusing on key habitat recovery. Fortunately, the state already had experience restoring kelp forests, seagrass meadows and oyster reefs damaged by run-off, he said. 'They've got a really strong track record in large-scale habitat restoration.'
TimesLIVE
22-07-2025
- Climate
- TimesLIVE
Toxic algal bloom off South Australia devastates marine life, tourism
The toxic bloom has been caused by overgrowth of the Karenia mikimotoi algal species, which affects fish gills and sucks oxygen out of the water as it decomposes, the state's environment department said. Contributing to its growth was a marine heatwave that started in 2024, when sea temperatures were about 2.5°C warmer than usual. The bloom has affected tourism and forced oyster and mussel farms to temporarily shut due to a waterborne toxin caused by the algae, local media said. More than 13,850 dead animals, including sharks, rays and invertebrates, have been recorded by the public on the iNaturalist app. Federal environment minister Murray Watt said on Monday the algal bloom was a 'serious environmental event', but stopped short of declaring it a national disaster, which would allow greater federal support.
Sydney Morning Herald
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Government all at sea on toxic algae bloom
The Albanese government's refusal to declare South Australia's algae bloom a natural disaster is a curious echo of Scott Morrison's feeble excuse that he did not hold the hose during the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20, a comment that both captured federal inaction in the face of catastrophe and helped torch his career. Four months ago, an algal bloom primarily caused by the microalgae Karenia mikimotoi was spotted in the waters off the Fleurieu Peninsula south of Adelaide, and has spread west to the Yorke Peninsula and east into the environmentally sensitive Coorong and across the mouth of the Murray River. Thousands of kilometres of South Australian beaches have been littered with dead sharks, rays, fish, dolphins and seals. Tourism has been devastated and the fishing industry is reeling. There are concerns, too, that prevailing currents could carry the bloom into Victorian or West Australian waters. Going down 20 metres beneath the waves, the algae bloom is already almost double the size of the ACT and may be the biggest to hit Australia's coast. The South Australian government, scientists and environmental groups called for help early, but Canberra remained distracted by the federal election until this week, when federal Environment Minister Murray Watt announced a $14 million assistance package, but resisted calls to declare a natural disaster. Watt admitted the bloom was a 'very serious environmental event' but it was wholly within South Australian-controlled waters and therefore did not meet the definition of a natural disaster. 'The Commonwealth natural disaster framework considers events like floods, cyclones and bushfires to be natural disasters, and if they are declared as such, they attract a range of funding,' Watt said. These are nearly always land-based natural disasters, and while past governments thought the sea out of bounds, climate change and pollution suggest the definition needs updating. Such blinkered vision no longer passes the pub test. Imagine the uproar if a similar-sized toxic algal bloom hit Sydney's beaches, with the carcasses of fish and marine animals lining the sand and people prevented from going into the water. Scientists believe the bloom may have resulted from a combination of nutrient-rich water from 2022 floods that flowed through the Murray-Darling system, the current SA drought, and a marine heatwave last September that pushed sea temperatures 2.5 degrees above normal. Loading While the funding announced by Watt is welcome, most of it will probably go towards helping fishers and tourist operators, with money for research a distant afterthought. While coral reefs attract attention and funding, researching the algae bloom in the Great Southern Reef system along the bottom of Australia is expensive science, not least because of the depth of the water.
