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ABC News
6 days ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Algal bloom leaves Coorong facing 'ecological collapse', advocates warn
The internationally significant Coorong wetlands are at risk of becoming a "wasteland" due to the toxic algal bloom that is ravaging South Australia's coastal ecosystems, according to advocates who say the area is now at a "threshold" moment. The shallow saline lagoon, which stretches roughly 130 kilometres along the state's south-east coast, has been dealing with a multitude of environmental pressures since the 1970s, with conservationists fearing this year's bloom will be "the straw that's broken the camel's back". The state government is also "deeply concerned" about the Coorong's future, with Acting Premier Susan Close warning that the area has been "on the brink for a very long time". But she cautioned that the extent to which the Karenia mikimotoi bloom will cause a permanent change to the Coorong's ecology is "not yet certain". The toxic algae — which has been ravaging SA's marine life since March and disrupting fishing, aquaculture and tourism businesses — is believed to have entered the Coorong's North Lagoon at the end of May via the mouth of the River Murray. It has since killed thousands of the Coorong's polychaete worms, crabs and fish. "We're looking at an ecological collapse," said Dr Jonathan Sobels, chair of the Coorong Environmental Trust (CET). "The likelihood of anybody being able to get a livelihood out of the Coorong as a fisherman is compromised. "There's a significant threat to livelihoods and to the food chains that support a wide variety of plants, fish, microbes, little crustaceans, shellfish — the whole lot." The Coorong, which formed the backdrop of Colin Thiele's classic Australian book Storm Boy, is also known as a breeding site for pelicans and migratory birds. According to the Environment Department, the region supports 11 threatened species, six threatened migratory waterbird species and two threatened ecological communities. There are now fears about what those migratory birds will eat given the widespread fish kills. Commercial fisherman Garry Hera-Singh, who first started fishing in the Coorong in 1974, said he has seen smaller fish, crabs and marine worms "washing in by the acres". "To me, the alarm bells are going off," he said. Mr Hera-Singh, a third-generation fisher, said he has already advised his son, also a fisher, to "seriously … consider changing course and changing occupations if this bloom re-occurs". The Coorong is listed as a wetland of international importance under the 1971 Ramsar Convention, an international treaty aimed at halting the loss of wetlands. Dr Sobels, the CET chair, said the bloom's degradation could put the Coorong's Ramsar listing "in jeopardy". "I wouldn't want to be the government that was known to be responsible for the loss of the significant international wetland," he said. The federal government is responsible for nominating and conserving Australia's Ramsar-listed wetlands. The Coorong was added to the list in 1985 — one of six Ramsar sites in SA and among more than 60 across Australia. The ABC contacted Environment Minister Murray Watt for comment. The Coorong is divided into a North and South Lagoon, with the latter suffering considerable environmental degradation since the 1980s. This has been partly attributed to poor water management between the Murray Darling Basin states as well as the Millennium Drought, which saw River Murray flows drop to record lows over the 2000s. Dr Sobels said the South Lagoon is "essentially a bacterial soup" and the North Lagoon is "now moving in the same direction" because of the bloom. "So, the crisis is that the Coorong might end up being much more of a wasteland than it currently is," he said. Estuarine ecologist Faith Coleman said Karenia's entry into the North Lagoon has caused "extensive deaths" in the "one truly healthy area of the Coorong that was remaining". "It [the bloom] has been the straw that's broken the camel's back," she said. "We previously had 20 to 30 per cent of the Coorong that was healthy, and that is the area that the Karenia bloom has hit. "I believe that this Karenia bloom is the threshold that the South Lagoon went through in … the late '70s, where it went from that beauty to a septic pit." The CET has put forward a four-point plan to address the issues in the Coorong, describing it as a "last-ditch attempt" to fix the issues in the North and South lagoons. The plan includes keeping the salinity of the South Lagoon within a narrow range, maximising flows into the South Lagoon, operating water efficiently and using burnt lime to boost water health. Ms Coleman, a founding member of the CET, said successive governments have failed to address the Coorong's decline despite millions in research funding. Acting Premier and Environment Minister Susan Close said Ms Coleman presented the four-point plan to her "a couple of weeks ago". "We're looking really favourably on all of the points that she's making," Dr Close said on Tuesday. "We're working through the detail of how they can be enacted." The acting premier said the state government was doing weekly algal testing in the Coorong. She said the bloom was "yet another attack" on the Coorong, arguing the area has copped "a hell of a hammering over the last few decades because of the way that the Murray-Darling Basin has been treated by other states". "Being able to flush the Coorong with freshwater at a time that helps the environment makes all the difference, and not having that has been a big problem." The acting premier said while the government was "deeply concerned" about the Coorong, there were still "things that can be done". She said the state government has investigated adding a clay that can deal with Karenia mikimotoi but was advised by scientists that it's "likely to cause more harm than good". "We're looking at ways in which we can manage water in order to push the Coorong's salinity out of the comfort zone for Karenia mikimotoi," she said. "But again, we don't want to flush too much because then the Karenia mikimotoi makes its way to the South Lagoon. "The fact that we are still working through this does not mean that we are not paying very careful attention and getting all of the best scientific expertise on the case."
ABC News
08-07-2025
- ABC News
First mother-son rowing and kayak duo travels length of River Murray in four months
When Cy Wever-Jetis graduated from high school in Sydney, he did not expect his upcoming gap year to include the endurance test of a lifetime. But a month into 2025, he decided to step out of his comfort zone and begin training with his mum to conquer one of Australia's most treasured waterways, the River Murray. His mum, Anja Wever, also happened to be a competitive rower and had been training for the voyage for 18 months, rowing her single scull craft more than 100 kilometres a week in preparation. "I'm 53 and I wanted this to be an inspirational piece for middle-aged women," Ms Wever said. "But when Cy said he wanted to come too, I thought what a lovely opportunity." To get her 18-year-old son up to speed, Ms Wever put him in a kayak and dropped him well and truly in the deep end. "Cy had never kayaked before, so I took him to Sydney Harbour to see how he would go," she said. What at first seemed like an unstable and slightly risky undertaking soon became a 127-day journey filled with family bonding, emotional vulnerability and records. The pair hiked the first 340km of the voyage, beginning in New South Wales's Mount Kosciuszko summit before hopping into their respective vessels at Hume Dam. As they began their journey downstream to the Murray Mouth in South Australia, the pair made it their mission to stop at every rowing club in the hope of creating a community connection. "All we wanted to do was say hello and take a photo with [the clubs], but they really went out of their way to do so much more," Ms Wever said. Ms Wever said she was touched by how locals from the regional communities helped her and her son along the way. "At one stage my [rowlock] was squeaking and we asked some fishermen if they had any WD40 [lubricant] … to which they said, 'No,'" she said. "But then two hours later, the fishermen had hunted us down and come back to find us just to give us a can of WD40. "[We were both] really touched by that … to see that sort of generosity from everybody, it's so lovely." It was the generosity of locals and the tenacity to make it to the Murray Mouth that got the pair through the harshest conditions. "We had quite a few of those moments where we were just in despair, you know, terrible weather conditions, ice on the tent, ice on the boat, not enough food and we lost a lot of weight," Ms Wever said. "We used to not check the weather every day, but [in the end] we checked the wind like six times a day because we were so worried it was going to pick up," Mr Wever-Jetis said. Despite the aches and pains, the pair said the trip had given them a new-found love for Australia's natural landscapes. "I have loved waking up in the middle of nowhere and hearing the birds and the water flowing," Mr Wever-Jetis said. "All that reflection has been really nice for me, especially because I've just come out of high school." The now-19-year-old said that, although there had been some very challenging moments, giving up was never an option. "No matter how hard things got between us, we never really thought about quitting," he said. "We only thought about how we could move through those hard moments and find a way around it." According to records kept by Goolwa's national trust, the Inland Rivers National Marathon Register (IRNMR), 532 people have completed the voyage since its records began 70 years ago. In that time, Ms Wever and Mr Wever-Jetis are the first mother and son to complete the length of the River Murray. Ms Wever said she hoped her adventures with her son would inspire other mothers to do the same with their children. "Get yourself out of your comfort zone with your children because they will find a new side of themselves, and you will too." And as for what is next on the bucket list, Ms Wever said the pair had already begun planning their next big adventure. "The Murray I wouldn't do again because I have done it now," she said. "But I was thinking about the Amazon."
ABC News
04-07-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
SA's toxic algal bloom is unlikely to end soon so what are the consequences?
It's an unprecedented ecological disaster, and authorities can't say when it will end. South Australia's toxic algal bloom has been affecting waters off parts of the state's coast since at least March. There were hopes winter weather conditions would help it dissipate, but so far the bloom hasn't gone away. So what do we know about the bloom, and — perhaps more importantly — what don't we know? What caused the bloom? According to Environment Minister Susan Close, there are three main factors that allowed the algae, Karenia mikimotoi , to bloom. The first is a lot of nutrients were flushed into South Australian waters as a result of the River Murray floods in 2023, providing a food source for the algae. There's also been a marine heatwave off the state's coast since October 2024, where sea temperatures have been sitting more than two degrees Celsius above normal. The third factor was a series of high pressure systems that meant the water was relatively still and didn't wash the algae out to sea. Susan Close says the algae is not toxic to human beings. ( ABC News: Lincoln Rothall ) Ms Close said all three factors can be attributed to climate change. "All three of the conditions that lead to this have been exacerbated by climate change," she said. "We can't hide our head in the sand and pretend that this is somehow a phenomenon that might have somehow happened without climate change." Marine biologist from the University of Sydney Shauna Murray said it's to early to pinpoint the exact causes. Small fish have washed up dead on Brighton Beach this week. ( ABC News: Olivia Mason ) "It's certainly true that the marine environment is changing and these changes come with a lack of predictability," she said. "But I think we don't have the data yet and it's going to take time to look through it all and figure it out." How does the bloom affect fish? Foam and dead sea life are the two key hallmarks of the bloom. Professor Murray said the algae affects fish gills and skin. " Karenia mikimotoi doesn't actually produce a toxin but it does produce what's called reactive oxygen species so this can damage the gills of fish and it can affect skin cells," she said. "What this damaging the gills of the fish means is marine animals basically drown if their gills become too damaged." Professor Shauna Murray is one of only a handful of experts in Australia who research algal blooms. ( Supplied UTS: Toby Burrows ) Professor Murray said low levels of brevetoxin have also been detected in the bloom, which could also be responsible for deaths. She said Karenia mikimotoi doesn't create brevetoxins, but other species of karenia have also been detected in the bloom " Karenia mikimotoi is the main species and Karenia mikimotoi doesn't produce brevetoxin so we know that's not the major reason," she said. The algae produced large amounts of foam at Knights Beach in SA's South Coast in April. ( ABC South East SA: Caroline Horn ) "In this particular bloom we've found several other species of karenia. "None of them are a smoking gun in terms of we know that they have previously produced brevetoxins but having said that we need to get them into culture and test them." If it affects gill fish — why are dolphins and seals being found dead? The official advice is that Karenia mikimotoi isn't toxic to mammals. The government said it's not uncommon for marine mammal carcasses to wash ashore after winter storms. But it is testing a dolphin carcass that was found at Tennyson Beach last Monday to see if the bloom contributed to its death. Professor Murray said the presence of brevetoxin could be a factor. "It's certainly within the scope that this could be related and I think there would have to be investigation to try and work that out," she said. Where has the bloom reached? The bloom was first reported by surfers at Waitpinga Beach in March, after they experienced coughing and respiratory affects from the algae. Since then, its impacts — foaming seas and fish kills — have been seen along the Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and Yorke Peninsula. At its largest, the government said it was the size of Kangaroo Island. The winter storms that many hoped would break up the bloom have dissipated it slightly, but they have also pushed it further into the Gulf St Vincent, where it's now affecting Adelaide's metropolitan beaches. Low levels of the algae have been found in West Lakes, and testing is being done in the Port River, with fears it could reach there as well. Why is it persisting, and when will it go away? The government admits, it didn't anticipate the bloom would be this prolonged, and can't predict how long it will last. The last time there was a harmful bloom of Karenia mikimotoi was at Coffin Bay in 2014, but while it caused some damage locally, it lasted little more than a week. Dead sea life can be seen along South Australia's coast. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Estuarine ecologist Faith Coleman said most algal blooms pass so quickly, they are rarely noted. "Then there are this group of blooms that last three to four months and those ones cover a larger area, they're often in the more open marine zone and they attract an awful lot more attention," she said. "What concerns me is there's this class of blooms that last around the 18 months to two years and there seems to be this gap between three to four months and 18 months to two years. "So I am deeply concerned that since we have passed that three to four month point with this … that we are looking at a bloom that will now go for 18 months if it doesn't clear this winter." Ms Coleman said if it persists through winter, it's likely to bloom with more intensity in summer. Ecologist Faith Coleman started testing water samples from Waitpinga in the days after the initial algal bloom. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) The other concern is even when the bloom dissipates, Karenia mikimotoi can lie dormant, and bloom again when the conditions are right. If this bloom continues for a year or more, what are the consequences? Ms Coleman said eco-systems can quickly bounce back from short algal blooms, but prolonged ones can have major ecological consequences. A dead dolphin spotted at Grange Beach. ( Supplied: Jock Lawrie ) "One event, fish can swim out, breed somewhere else or miss a breeding for the year and come back in again," Ms Coleman said. "Also things like fish eggs and spores for the macro algae and the seeds of the seagrasses quite comfortably accommodate one bad season. "They don't accommodate so well multiple bad seasons. Two is not good, three is quite bad. By the time you get to four or five seasons in a row, you're starting to lose major parts of your ecosystem." What's being done for the fishing and aquaculture industries? The bloom has taken its toll on fishing and aquaculture, with some oyster farms on the Yorke Peninsula being closed down, and fishers reporting reduced catch. Ms Close said the government is working with industry to see how it can help, but this bloom is a "real lesson" to people who rely on the marine environment for their livelihood. "I think farmers on land have become used to the idea of frequent droughts and they're very well aware that we're in a drying period as a result of climate change," she said. "I think people who are dependent on the marine environment need to appreciate that they can no longer rely on a stable and predictable marine environment." Dead pipis along the shoreline at Goolwa Beach. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Ms Close said businesses should consider things like business interruption insurance and other measures to make themselves more resilient to climate change. But she said the good news is that Karenia mikimotoi isn't toxic to humans — and any fish caught in South Australian waters is still safe to eat. Is there anything we can do? There's nothing that can be done to dissipate a bloom the size of this one, and addressing climate change takes a global effort. But Ms Close said there are things that can be done to make the environment more prepared to tackle the impacts of climate change. "The better we look after the environment, the more resilient it will be when we have these sorts of crises linked to climate change," she said. "We need to explicitly decouple our economic growth and prosperity from asking nature to always take a bit more of a hit." A Port Jackson shark has been found dead among other marine life on Adelaide beaches. ( ABC News: Olivia Mason ) Ms Close said examples of where the South Australian government had done that was through establishing marine parks and sanctuaries, and through waterways management. Professor Murray said one lesson from the bloom is more monitoring of our waters are needed. "We need to have a bit more regular monitoring of recreational waters and beaches for harmful algal blooms," she said. "In the past all our monitoring is linked to shellfish aquaculture areas which is obviously very important but just that we need to expand this to other waters." Faith Coleman says prolonged algal blooms could have major consequences. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Faith Coleman said there are ways local communities can respond to the bloom, by establishing more oyster reefs, muscle beds and seagrass beds. "We're seeing that embayments with lost of seagrasses and lots of macro algae and lots of filter feeders, even though those things are really badly impacted by this algae, those areas that have lots of them are less badly impacted," she said. "It is a scale that is huge, but if each local community does one, and each local government does one little area then maybe we'll get there at a statewide level." Ms Close said part of its research into this bloom will be how to best protect marine ecosystems, and what can be done to invest in restoration. "How are we going to bounce back? Do we need to invest in more reefs? Do we need to invest in an even greater network of marine parks?" she said. "All of that will be a guide of how we get better to responding to climate change."
ABC News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Report makes 23 recommendations to SA government after River Murray floods
A report into the South Australian government's response to the River Murray floods has found some agencies "fell short in the execution of their roles". The third-highest flood on record in SA peaked at 186 gigalitres a day in December 2022, after months of preparations in towns along the river corridor. A select committee was established in August 2023, after the water receded, to review the preparation, response and recovery to the incident. This included local, state and federal responsibilities, stakeholder communication, river flow management and modelling, and future mitigation. A report containing 23 recommendations has now been tabled in parliament following the inquiry. It called for the state government to implement changes in areas including communication, levee maintenance, flood mitigation and funding. "It was generally felt that state and federal governments were to be commended in their response to the flood event," the report summary read. The report placed significant focus on levees, including the management of government-owned infrastructure and the performance of levee banks during the peak of the flood. The inquiry heard the use of portable levees, like DefenCell structures, had been deployed "to prioritise the protection of government assets and infrastructure" over private properties. "I can understand people's frustration, but, again, it's not the [Department for Infrastructure and Transport's] responsibility around decision-making of protecting private infrastructure," DIT chief executive officer Jon Whelan said when delivering evidence in 2024. The report also outlined the need for a commitment from the state government to independently audit or review the Department for Environment and Water's (DEW) existing methods of producing river flow data during periods of flooding. Other recommendations tabled included an independent review into grant processes, financial support eligibility and communication improvements. Berri Barmera Council mayor Ella Winnall told the committee communication levels were not adequate to reassure the community's uncertainty. "State government communications protocols exacerbated issues, with some having days required for agencies to provide little more than a holding statement," she said when giving evidence in 2024. "[There was] an information void … [the] result was a shift in responsibility onto local government … which presented an additional burden and unhelpful distraction." Committee chair and opposition spokesperson for water Nicola Centofanti has called on the state government to adopt all 23 recommendations in full. "The committee was established to really listen to the voices of individuals, communities, local government and agencies," she said. "I think it should be an expectation that the premier and the government read the report and respond." Premier Peter Malinauskas said the government would assess the recommendations seriously and review "areas for improvement". "I can understand the emphasis on where there is room for improvement, you know, that is a good thing," he said. The government's procurement processes during the flood recovery were also thrust into the spotlight for lacking "transparency". Green Industries SA (GISA) awarded a $56 million flood clean-up contract to a Melbourne-based contractor, despite local businesses being ready to help on the ground. The report recommended an Auditor-General review of the state government's procurement and tendering process surrounding the floods. It noted an external review found it was neither misleading or deceptive, but industry stakeholders paid costs for tendering a process that did not proceed. Another recommendation included to avoid issuing contracts that follow a cost-plus model where possible. Ms Centofanti said this was because the model lacked basic safeguards for taxpayers. "Under cost-plus models, contractors are paid for their actual expenses, plus a guaranteed profit margin regardless of performance or efficiency," she said. "It can create a perverse incentive to inflate costs and drag out timelines." A government spokesperson said GISA acknowledged aspects of the procurement process could have been managed better. They said the River Murray flood was "unprecedented" in scale, which posed significant recovery challenges. "Any confusion experienced by local businesses, while regrettable, was minor in scope and reflects the broader complexity involved in rapidly mobilising resources under such urgent circumstances," the spokesperson said. "It is not uncommon in procurement processes, particularly those responding to emergencies, for businesses to submit tenders without ultimately receiving work, and we recognise the associated efforts and costs involved."
