South Australian algal bloom leaves beaches littered with thousands of dead marine life

An unprecedented algal bloom may lead to more marine life being added to the threatened species list as the toxic event kills thousands of sea creatures.

Tens of thousands of marine animals have been killed since an algal bloom was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia in March, and has since spread along some of the coastline.

An expert assessment of the impact of the toxic algal bloom has been expedited by the federal government to understand the impact on marine life.

The bloom has resulted in more than 400 species of marine life, including sharks, rays and fish, washing up along the coastline.

The assessment will determine if any additional species need to be added to the threatened list, which already includes whitefin swellshark, longnose skate, greeneye spurdog, grey skate, and coastal stingaree.

If any additional species are added to the list, it may trigger the development of conservation plans.

It is a similar process to the assessment after the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires that saw the south-eastern glossy black cockatoo and mountain skink added to the threatened species list.

“We can leave no stone unturned to understand the impact of this on local marine life, so we can begin investing in the appropriate strategies to bring these important animals back to healthy numbers,” Environment Minister Murray Watt said in a statement on Wednesday.

It follows Mr Watt issuing an apology to South Australians on Monday, who feel the government’s response to the bloom has been too slow.

But the federal government hopes a recently announced jointly funded $28 million package will be enough to fix the damage.

The package is expected to support affected businesses, undertake more research and clean up the beaches where thousands of dead marine animals have washed up.

Federal leaders are visiting Adelaide on Wednesday, with Mr Watt arriving for a second time to meet with impacted businesses, industry and the community and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley touring impacted areas.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also expected to visit South Australia later this week about the bloom.

Local businesses have reported a loss of income as a result of the bloom, with a recent survey by the Tourism Industry Council of South Australia revealing some have already experienced summer cancellations.

“I’m one of the busiest charter operators in the state but the phone isn’t ringing,” Reel Screamer Fishing Charters owner Kevin Sweeney told AAP on Tuesday.

There has been an average $52,000 loss for businesses due to a lull in tourism customers, mostly from South Australia, over fears of the algal bloom.

The algal bloom is attributed to 2022-23 Murray floodwaters pushing nutrients into the ocean, an upwelling of nutrient-rich water from deep off the continental shelf caused by changing ocean currents, and a 2.5C marine heatwave that started in 2024.