Cuttlefish catastrophe feared from deadly algal bloom
A Biodiversity Council report outlines seven urgent responses to the algal bloom off South Australia's coast, including spending at least $10 million to kick-start scientific research to assess which species are affected by the bloom, by how much, and to monitor recovery.
The giant cuttlefish, in SA's Upper Spencer Gulf, is the first species that should be investigated for emergency intervention, the report says.
Each winter, tens of thousands of giant cuttlefish migrate to the waters near Whyalla to breed, creating a spectacular natural event that has been featured on David Attenborough's Blue Planet series.
Tourism operator Matt Waller, who takes more than 6000 people on boat tours each season, said there was a "really acute risk in a small area".
"If the algal bloom makes it into Upper Spencer Gulf and specifically lands over this area of cuttlefish reef - it's 8km long and 40m wide, and 90 per cent of the population lay their eggs on that strip," he said.
"If that algal bloom ends up where those eggs are now, the result of that is in two years' time, we will have lost an entire generation of cuttlefish."
The Biodiversity Council says the algal bloom is just tens of kilometres away and tracking towards the breeding site, with cuttlefish trapped at the tip of Spencer Gulf.
"There is a high risk the bloom will reach the developing eggs, or that adult and then newly hatched cuttlefish will swim directly into its toxic waters," the report says.
"This could devastate the local population and the broader ecological and tourism values associated with this iconic event."
The report urges government agencies to work with cuttlefish experts to investigate transferring some eggs to an aquaculture facility until the bloom has dissipated.
Mr Waller said if the population was wiped out, "I would have no business".
"I'm trying to be philosophical about it because I can see that there is a high probability of it happening," he said.
"I'm mostly concerned about the future for this particularly unique species of giant cuttlefish, because it's so cool.
"The biodiversity here is not found anywhere else in the world so if we lose it, it's gone."
On Wednesday, Labor, the coalition and the Greens backed a Senate inquiry into the algal bloom, which has killed tens of thousands of marine animals from more than 450 species since it was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March.
It has since spread along the coastline, prompting a $28 million investment package from the SA and federal governments for clean-up, recovery, research and industry support.
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ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Race to understand Giant Australian cuttlefish behaviour as algal bloom looms
Thousands of people visit Whyalla every year in winter to see congregating giant Australian cuttlefish near the shore for their breeding season. But that may be under threat as scientists weigh-up whether to relocate cuttlefish hatchlings before South Australia's toxic algal bloom reaches their fertile grounds. The Biodiversity Council of Australia held an emergency meeting on Wednesday with state government officials discussing how to safeguard giant Australian cuttlefish eggs in the Upper Spencer Gulf. UniSA marine ecologist Zoe Doubleday attended the meeting and said the council had resolved to fill data gaps before taking a course of action. "You'd be taking eggs from a currently healthy population so you don't want to do that unless you really have to," Dr Doubleday said. "And removing eggs, they might just be gobbled up by predators after a while, so there's a few things we're balancing. We're doing some assessment to see what's viable." Dr Doubleday acknowledged the process was time sensitive but it was unclear how much of the algae would reach breeding areas, nor how much harm could be done. "The eggs are in a good place to collect now if we were to do that, or in the next few weeks," she said. Biodiversity Council spokesperson Jaana Dielenberg said the cuttlefish were "a point of pride for the people of Whyalla" and an international tourism drawcard. "Our greatest hope is that the harmful algal bloom, which is devastating marine wildlife, will dissipate soon," she said. "But until it does conservation managers need to rapidly prepare for the worst. "This cuttlefish population and its extraordinary behaviour are one of the world's natural wonders, like the great monarch butterfly migrations. "We should do everything we can to ensure it survives." Flinders University cuttlefish researcher Bethany Jackel, who was not at the meeting, said giant Australian cuttlefish numbers were strong this season. "The cuttlefish this season do seem to have dodged a bullet. They seem to have done what they need to do," Ms Jackel said. "What we don't really know is what impact that algae may have on the eggs that will now be developing all the way through until November, December, and what effects that algae might have on the food source of the hatchlings." Whyalla Dive Shop owner Manny Katz, who is also director of Eyre Lab, a not-for-profit which promotes awareness of restoration ecology, approved of moving the eggs. "Then we can hold on to those genetics for redeployment in the future," he said. Due to their relatively short life span of 12 to 18 months, Mr Katz said it could take several generations of captive cuttlefish before conditions were optimal for their release back into the wild. "If you were to release hatchlings back into the wild with no food source you'd just be setting them up for failure," he said. Cutty's Boat Tours owner Matt Waller, one of several tourism operators who rely on the cuttlefish aggregation, said there were still unknowns. "The question we can never really answer is [why are] the cuttlefish returning to this site every year? Is that a high level of genetic evolutionary disposition? Or it's something they just re-find?" he said. Mr Katz said more research was being conducted into the species' migration patterns. But it was unclear was whether a prolonged period of captivity would impact their "internal compass" and ability to travel to the breeding grounds outside of Point Lowley.
SBS Australia
2 days ago
- SBS Australia
Could a $100 COVID-era incentive help 'devastated' algae-hit businesses?
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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."
Perth Now
24-07-2025
- Perth Now
Cuttlefish catastrophe feared from deadly algal bloom
A devastating algal bloom is threatening a population of cuttlefish that gathers annually in a unique global phenomenon, and swift action has been urged to protect it from a catastrophic wipe-out. A Biodiversity Council report outlines seven urgent responses to the algal bloom off South Australia's coast, including spending at least $10 million to kick-start scientific research to assess which species are affected by the bloom, by how much, and to monitor recovery. The giant cuttlefish, in SA's Upper Spencer Gulf, is the first species that should be investigated for emergency intervention, the report says. Each winter, tens of thousands of giant cuttlefish migrate to the waters near Whyalla to breed, creating a spectacular natural event that has been featured on David Attenborough's Blue Planet series. Tourism operator Matt Waller, who takes more than 6000 people on boat tours each season, said there was a "really acute risk in a small area". "If the algal bloom makes it into Upper Spencer Gulf and specifically lands over this area of cuttlefish reef - it's 8km long and 40m wide, and 90 per cent of the population lay their eggs on that strip," he said. "If that algal bloom ends up where those eggs are now, the result of that is in two years' time, we will have lost an entire generation of cuttlefish." The Biodiversity Council says the algal bloom is just tens of kilometres away and tracking towards the breeding site, with cuttlefish trapped at the tip of Spencer Gulf. "There is a high risk the bloom will reach the developing eggs, or that adult and then newly hatched cuttlefish will swim directly into its toxic waters," the report says. "This could devastate the local population and the broader ecological and tourism values associated with this iconic event." The report urges government agencies to work with cuttlefish experts to investigate transferring some eggs to an aquaculture facility until the bloom has dissipated. Mr Waller said if the population was wiped out, "I would have no business". "I'm trying to be philosophical about it because I can see that there is a high probability of it happening," he said. "I'm mostly concerned about the future for this particularly unique species of giant cuttlefish, because it's so cool. "The biodiversity here is not found anywhere else in the world so if we lose it, it's gone." On Wednesday, Labor, the coalition and the Greens backed a Senate inquiry into the algal bloom, which has killed tens of thousands of marine animals from more than 450 species since it was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. It has since spread along the coastline, prompting a $28 million investment package from the SA and federal governments for clean-up, recovery, research and industry support.
