Latest news with #AnthonyRowland
The Guardian
19-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
SA's toxic algal bloom is twice the size of the ACT, has killed 12,000 animals and is filling even the experts with dread
Anthony Rowland was heading out for a pre-dawn surf at Waitpinga Point when he felt a tickle in his throat. He was out on the pristine water as the sun rose on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, then headed back up the hill towards the car park with his friends. 'Halfway up, all three of us were barking,' he says. When they reached the car park, it was full of people coughing. 'That was the second I realised something really bad was going on,' he says. It was Saturday, 15 March. When he went back the next day, a sickly yellow-brown foam had been whipped up along the shoreline. Dead leafy seadragons and fish carcasses littered the shore. Rowland – a surfer from nearby Victor Harbor who can now be described as a citizen scientist – tried to alert authorities, without success. Then the media began reporting about the mysterious foam, and asking questions about its links to symptoms in humans and death among sealife. It was the first time the wider population had heard of the devastating, toxic algal bloom that has left SA beaches littered with the carcasses of fish and marine animals – but it had already been brewing away beneath the waves for some time. Estuarine ecologist Faith Coleman thinks it was killing fish as early as January. About a week after Rowland started to tell anyone who'd listen about what was happening at Waitpinga, authorities confirmed the main algal species was Karenia mikimotoi, a type of plankton that had grown out of control. Experts say other algae that produce toxins are likely to be in the bloom as well. The toxins affect the gills of fish, while the bloom sucks the oxygen out of the water as it dies and decomposes, effectively suffocating marine life. It appears in the water and on the sand as a dirty stain, and in the air as an irritant to eyes and lungs. According to records, it has killed over 12,000 animals from almost 400 species so far, but experts predict the figure is much higher. There are dead fiddler rays, worm eels, Port Jackson sharks, crabs and puffer fish. There are starfish and scallops, sea cucumbers, wobbegongs and flatheads. A persistent marine heatwave affects the waters off South Australia, kicked off with sea surface temperatures reaching 2.5C above average. A mysterious sea foam appears at beaches on the Fleurieu Peninsula, with reports of more than 100 surfers becoming ill, and deaths of leafy sea dragons, fish and octopi. Marine biologists from the University of Technology Sydney find high numbers of a tiny harmful algal species called Karenia mikimotoi in water samples collected from affected beaches. Prof Shauna Murray – who identified the algae under the microscope and by analysing its DNA – says while still not well understood, K mikimotoi is thought to produce a reactive oxygen that caused gill cell damage in fish – which means they can not breathe. By this point, more than 200 marine species have been killed by the bloom, which stretches along more than 150 kilometres worth of coastline. A powerful storm and high tides washes the algae into the Coorong, staining the water like strong tea before turning it into a slurry. Water testing confirms the presence of the algae in the Coorong. Abnormally high tides, strong winds and large waves lashes the South Australian coastline, with multiple reports of fish deaths along the Adelaide metropolitan coastline reported in the aftermath. Testing confirms the toxic algae had entered West Lakes. While the algae has been detected at the inlet, it had not yet been detected at three other testing sites. It's not toxic to humans or other mammals but can cause averse reactions such as coughing, throat irritation and eye inflammation. According to state government experts, there are several 'plausible' factors that triggered the deadly algae bloom. In 2022, deadly floods hit the eastern states. That water flowed through the Murray-Darling Basin, collecting organic matter on its way. Eventually, the nutrient-rich water made its way to SA's River Murray before oozing out into the ocean. The next summer, there was an 'upwelling' of that water, bringing it to the surface. And then a marine heatwave began in September 2024. Sea temperatures rose to about 2.5C above normal. It was hot, dry and calm. And the bloom grew. It spread from the Fleurieu Peninsula, to Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula, Gulf St Vincent and the Spencer Gulf. It grew to 4,500 sq kms – almost double the size of the ACT – and as deep as 20m. In June it infiltrated the Coorong, a delicately balanced ecosystem and Ramsar-listed wetlands, and in early July it made its way to metropolitan beaches and into the Port River, which is home to a dolphin sanctuary. The bloom killed invertebrates and organisms that anchor seagrasses, leaving beaches near Adelaide strewn with clumps of seaweed. Nestled in those clumps are dead animals in states of decay. Beachgoers can be seen walking between carcasses, frantically calling their dogs away from the rotting fish. It has forced oyster and mussel farms to close, and has caused huge complications for the marine tourism industry. 'People have seen what's washed up on the shoreline, but that's just the tip of the iceberg,' marine biologist and underwater cinematographer Stefan Andrews says. Andrews is the co-founder of the Great Southern Reef Foundation (GSRF), which has been tracking the bloom. 'All of the habitats that these marine creatures depend on are deteriorating,' he says. 'But it's happening underwater and it's going unnoticed.' Footage from his dives contrast colourful, vibrant underwater scenes from before the bloom with murky after-shots that look almost apocalyptic. And there's 'weird' stuff going on, Andrews says. Critters you'd normally see at night appearing during the day. Abalone sitting upside down. A brittle star – related to the starfish, but with long, spindly arms – has its middle missing, like a doughnut. 'It seems to be rotting away from the inside.' When he looked under the kelp canopy while diving off Kangaroo Island, the invertebrates, the sponges, the sea squirts, were 'all dead or dying and falling apart'. As is always the case in the modern world, conspiracy theories have sprung up around the bloom. Some say Chinese warships caused it, others blame the desalination plant, some blame cloud seeding. Estuarine ecologist Faith Coleman says people are desperate for answers. 'I'm spending an awful lot of time doing something I hate to do, which is myth busting, whereas I'd prefer to be concentrating on solving the problem,' she says. She also says the contribution of the Murray floods and the upwelling were minor contributors. Overwhelmingly, she says, it was the marine heatwave. The government and experts concede there are many unanswered questions – including when it will end. The state government says nothing can be done naturally to dilute or dissipate the bloom. That won't quell the rising calls for action. The GSRF wrote to the federal government in 2023, warning of the likely impact of marine heatwaves. It wrote again in May this year, calling for a $40m, 10-year investment in a monitoring program. It didn't hear back. 'We need a coordinated monitoring program,' Andrews says. 'So when events like marine heatwaves happen, we're able to learn from them as they're unfolding and gather valuable data.' Federally, the Greens are calling for an inquiry and for it to be declared a national disaster, 'just like a bushfire or a weather bomb', SA senator Sarah Hanson-Young says. The Greens senator adds that if it was happening anywhere else in the country, the federal government would be on it. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The state government says it's working with commercial fishers, tourism operators and councils, and set up a reference group to report to a taskforce to discuss any updates. A patrol vessel and remotely operated vehicles have been sent to conduct underwater observations. It's also asking the federal government to fund more research and recovery measures. On Wednesday the federal environment minister, Murray Watt, sent his department's head of international environment, reef and ocean division to SA to ensure he has 'the best possible advice on the situation'. Coleman, to whom everyone seems to defer as a top expert on the bloom and who previously worked on projects including dealing with the carp in the Murray, recently captured plenty of attention talking about the 'sea sparkle'. It's different algae that can eat the Karenia – an appealing concept. But there's not enough of the luminescent algae to make a significant difference. The colder water and storms might be dispersing the bloom a bit, Coleman says, but more is needed to flush the gulfs or there'll be another bloom this summer. Restoring things such as the seagrasses and kelp forests, which work to suppress fledgling blooms and act as carbon sinks, would help, she says. What most people agree on is that more data and more transparency is needed, and that climate change is the driving force that needs to be stopped. Rowland, four and a half months after he started coughing in the car park, has become a citizen scientist embedded in a network of volunteers who are monitoring and logging the fish deaths on the iNaturalist app. 'Because the world's heating up,' he says. 'I just don't feel confident that once it's gone, it's gone. 'For me, the writing's on the wall.'
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
An ecological disaster has been unfolding on Australia's coast
A mysterious, brown foam appeared on a beach an hour south of Adelaide. It was just the beginning of a toxic algal bloom that has now grown to thousands of square kilometres in size, killing precious sea life in its wake. Experts say it could be a sign of things to come. Waitpinga Beach is popular with surfers and nature lovers. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) The breathtaking coastline of Waitpinga Beach — known as "Waits" to locals — is famed for its strong swells and rugged hills. Anthony Rowland first reported the situation to authorities in March. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) But Waitpinga quite literally took Anthony Rowland's breath away, when he found himself in the middle of a toxic algal bloom not yet visible to the human eye. Anthony Rowland says he has an "addiction" to the ocean. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) In the early hours of Saturday, March 15, Mr Rowland went to Waits with some friends. Shortly after arriving, he began to feel sick. Anthony Rowland said he began to worry when he saw other people coughing after being near the sea. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) "I did notice when I was walking down the steps that I felt like … maybe I've got a flu coming on," he recalled. "You know, just your taste is a little bit off. But didn't think anything of it." The water was glistening as usual, and as the sun rose more people arrived to catch a wave. But it wasn't long before he and his friends started coughing, and when they returned to their cars, other beachgoers were experiencing the same symptoms. Anthony Rowland said he felt as though authorities did not take his initial reports seriously. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) "I started looking around, it was quite a busy car park and I noticed like these guys were coughing, they were coughing, everyone was coughing here and there, and I was like, 'alright, something's really not right here'…" he said. Mr Rowland has become a keen citizen scientist, providing images and updates for the local community. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) He took to social media to share his experience, and realised dozens of others, including those who hadn't been in the water, were also reporting coughs, sore throats and stinging eyes. One surfer said his vision was impacted so badly it was like he was "looking through the end of two Coke bottles". Mr Rowland reported the matter to authorities, but felt like no-one was taking him seriously. The next day, a brown foam appeared at Waitpinga Beach, as well as a handful of dead leafy sea dragons. A foam build up on Waitpinga Beach photographed on March 17, 2025. ( ABC News: Caroline Horn ) On Monday, Mr Rowland returned to the beach with ABC reporter Caroline Horn to find the foam "five times worse" as well as scores of dead sea creatures. "Every lineal metre, there was at least five or six [dead] fish," he said. By that afternoon, authorities closed both Waitpinga and Parsons beaches to investigate whether a "fish mortality event" had occurred and warned people not to swim. Mr Rowland did not know it yet, but he and other beachgoers had come into contact with an algal bloom called Karenia mikimotoi , which can be lethal to sea life, and cause flu-like symptoms in humans. Marine biologist and UTS researcher Shauna Murray said the bloom was a type of marine phytoplankton, which could not always be seen. Karenia mikimotoi under the microscope. ( Supplied: Faith Coleman ) "So, they're not visible as cells to the naked eye, but you can see the colouring, so when they're extremely abundant you can see a sort of slight … water discolouration that is reddy, brown … but not always," she said. "It depends on the density of the bloom at the time." Ongoing marine heatwave to blame Professor Murray said marine phytoplankton was a crucial part of the ecosystem, producing up to half the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere. She said only a small percentage of the more than 100,000 different species of microalgae were toxic. " Mikimotoi has probably had the most effects worldwide in terms of harmful algal impacts, especially on fisheries and aquaculture, but also just on the general marine environment of the Karenias ," she said. UTS Professor Shauna Murray is one of only a handful of experts in Australia who research algal blooms. ( Supplied UTS: Toby Burrows ) On March 25, with the help of Professor Murray, authorities confirmed the algal bloom was Karenia mikimotoi . The blame was placed on an "ongoing marine heatwave" which had seen water temperatures 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than usual. At the time, EPA principal marine scientist Sam Gaylard said weather conditions had been "just right" for a bloom, and the hope was for a "big cold front to come through" and disperse it. The cold front never arrived. Within weeks the bloom began to spread throughout the Fleurieu coastline and beyond, growing to more than 4,000 square kilometres in size, equal to about 72 Sydney Harbours. This satellite map image, taken on May 11, shows in red where chlorophyll a, an indicator of bloom, is present. Its impact leaving stark traces along the coast. Satellite mapping taken on May 11 shows levels of chlorophyll - a in red. It is an indicator of where algal bloom is present. ( Supplied: ) Dead octopus washed up at Basham Beach on March 18, 2025. ( ABC News: Caroline Horn ) Dozens of dead octopuses and other marine life washed up at Encounter Bay and Basham Beach. Dead pippis along the shoreline at Goolwa Beach. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Dead cuttlefish were found at Victor Harbor and dead pipis were strewn across Goolwa Beach. The pristine waters of Kangaroo Island are a selling point for tourists and visitors alike. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) The bloom spread to nearby Kangaroo Island, where residents reported dead skate and leather jackets. Divers in Edithburgh on the Yorke Peninsula reported mass deaths along the ocean floor. A dead shark washed up on Henley Beach South on the morning of May 5, 2025. ( Supplied: Rebecca Morse ) The issue hit home for those living in metropolitan Adelaide, when a dead three-metre white shark appeared at Henley Beach. As part of its investigation, the ABC visited multiple locations impacted by the outbreak. The remnants of previous fish kills were still apparent, as were more recent deaths. On Kangaroo Island, which reported its first fish kills in March, some beaches were so littered with dead sea life, the smell was overpowering. 'If we get the balance wrong ... all of it will fall over' Many people living in or near impacted areas told the ABC they felt they had been left in the dark by authorities. While state government bodies including SA Health, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, South Australia (PIRSA) and the EPA have issued information on their websites and through the media, a lack of information in the days and weeks after the bloom prompted a movement of citizen scientists to collect their own samples and share their findings online. Among them is Faith Coleman, an ecologist who started testing water samples from Waitpinga in the days after the initial algal bloom. She has given weeks of her own time for free, but said being part of the citizen science cause was a "privilege". Ecologist Faith Coleman has taken a keen interest in the algal bloom. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Faith Coleman is an ecologist. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) "Human beings are part of our ecosystems, but if we get the balance wrong in the environment all of it will fall over ..." she said. "And so, when there are community members who are distressed and we are seeing really clear signatures of climate change ... it's important that we get onto it very, very quickly." She and others said a lack of readily-available information had led to misinformation being spread online, including the algal bloom being caused by the desalination plant or by Chinese warships. But Environment Minister Susan Close said the state government had "provided clear, relevant and current health and other information via a range of mediums". "This includes but is not limited to signage at affected beaches, regularly updated government websites, media releases, parliamentary statements and social media," Dr Close said. She said the government had also provided detailed briefings to local councils, MPs and businesses and ministers and departmental experts had regularly made themselves available for interviews with both Australian and international news organisations. Faith Coleman said she was "deeply concerned" that this wouldn't be the last toxic bloom in the region. "The magnitude of these blooms is changing around the world, not just this species but all hazardous species, and we are seeing in some areas ... [blooms] are now happening along the entire Californian coastline or throughout the [Gulf] of Mexico," she said. A dead fish on Waitpinga Beach photographed on March 17, 2025. ( ABC News: Caroline Horn ) This picture of a globe fish on the beach at Waitpinga, south of Victor Harbor has been uploaded to iNaturalists and will form part of the data set used by scientists when studying the impact of the algal bloom. ( ABC South East SA: Caroline Horn ) Dead fish can be found strewn along the coastline of the peninsula and Kangaroo Island. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) A dead shark on the shoreline at Kangaroo Island. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) On Kangaroo Island, Kathryn Lewis is one of dozens documenting fish kills on local beaches, and uploading them on citizen science platform iNaturalist. "It's a very sad experience," she said. "I've never seen anything like it … but you want to do something about it and the best thing to do is to support scientists in their research and find solutions." Kathryn Lewis lives on Kangaroo Island and has been monitoring the impact of the bloom. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) The fish kills have been a hot topic on the island since the beginning of the algal bloom outbreak. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Kathryn Lewis has been walking the beaches of Kangaroo Island, monitoring the deaths of sea creatures. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Dead sea life can be seen along South Australia's coast, including this eagle ray. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) As the citizen science movement continues, state government experts say they are monitoring the bloom closely. The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), which is the research arm of PIRSA, is conducting water testing, autopsies on dead sea life and forecasting where the bloom could go next. SARDI oceanographer Mark Doubell said satellite imagery showed visible signs of chlorophyll a, an indicator of a bloom's presence, as early as March 10. South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) Research Scientist Mark Doubell. He said a range of environmental impacts had occurred before the bloom, including water from the 2022/23 River Murray floods flowing into the Southern Ocean, followed by unseasonably cold and warm water. "Globally, there's an increase in the intensity and frequency of harmful algal blooms around the world over the last 20 years and we've often thought down on the southern end of Australia we're immune, maybe a little bit more immune or protected from those impacts but definitely we're seeing large shifts, climatic driven shifts in our environmental conditions," he said. He said all that could be done now was to wait for "Mother Nature" to disperse the bloom as the weather cooled. 'This could be the beginning of the end' While the impact on marine life is being studied, other impacts are being felt. Kangaroo Island tour operator Andrew Neighbour stopped his dolphin swimming tours early due to the "manky" state of the water. Andrew Neighbour, who runs a dolphin tour company, stopped his season early due the bloom outbreak. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Andrew Neighbour said the water was not nice for visitors to swim in. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) In Goolwa, Kuti Co, a First Nations business, has been monitoring the situation closely after thousands of dead pipis, or kuti, washed ashore last month. Kuti Co manager and Ngarrindjeri elder Derek Walker said he was thankful its harvest zone had not been impacted by the bloom, but said he was feeling the cultural impact of the marine deaths. "[Kuti has] been a protein source sustaining us for millennia and its, culturally, was part of our cultural economy as far as Ngarrindjeri are concerned," he said. "It's very important from our cultural heritage, certainly important from a native title perspective but really important around continuing our practice that goes back through the ages. Ngarrindjeri elder and managing director of Kuti Co, Derek Walker. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) Derek Walker said the impact on the environment had been hard to see from both a business and cultural perspective. "It's been a worry ... there are some things you have to deal with in a business sense but from a cultural, ecological perspective it is concerning for us Ngarrindjeri too as well because it's not just the kuti or pipis it's affecting ... other fish species, but it's also affecting humans. "We were noting that people, their eyes were stinging when they were on the beach, and even away from the beach. "It brings a whole heap of emotion and thoughts around this because ecologically the decline ... in probably the last 30 years has been greater than any other time in history, so that always concerns us." Anthony said it felt as though the ocean was trying to send a warning. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) For Anthony Rowland, his dedication to the cause has been unwavering. He joked his obsession and daily social media updates had likely lost him some friends. But it's all for a good cause. Anthony Rowland says more needs to be done to monitor coastlines. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) "The ocean's my life ... since a young age," he said. "My mum passed away when I was young and I think as a part of my coping with that from the age of eight onwards I was just addicted to the beach." He believed the bloom was among the first glimpses of the impact of climate change. Anthony says he is worried about the continued impact on local ecosystems. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) "This is potentially the start of the decay of the oceans, which is going to be the start of the decay of mankind..." he said. "We still don't know the severity of it in our area. Dead stringrays have washed up on the coastline of Kangaroo Island. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) "There has to be a way of letting the world realise this could be the beginning of the end. "It's just giving us warning signs." Credits Reporting: Leah MacLennan Words and digital production: Jessica Haynes Photography and videography: Che Chorley Editing: Sara Garcia Additional reporting: Jessica Haynes and Caroline Horn Additional photos: Caroline Horn, Toby Burrows, Rebecca Morse and IMOS OceanCurrent
Fox News
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Fox News
Mysterious foam and dead fish wash ashore as surfers report illnesses
People visiting Southern Australia may be in for a surprise as mysterious foam and dead fish are washing ashore. A microalgal bloom created by unusual weather conditions resulted in the foam spanning over hundreds of yards of coastline, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The bloom may cause algae to grow out of control, "producing toxins that can kill fish, mammals and birds," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The substance may also cause human illness or even death in extreme cases, the NOAA says. Surfers and visitors have reported feeling sick after leaving the beach. "While we were out there, we started coughing," local surfer Anthony Rowland told the AP. "Lots of people reached out – so many people have said [they've] had exactly the same symptoms," Rowland added. The foam is a byproduct of toxic organisms' decay with marine scientists collecting samples looking to identify the organism, reported the AP. The severity of the blooms depends on factors such as the structure of the coast, runoff, oceanography, and other organisms in the water, according to the NOAA. The South Australian beaches, Waitpinga Beach and Parsons Beach, have been closed until further notice.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Toxic ‘sea foam' kills animals and leaves surfers with breathing problems and blurred vision
A toxic 'sea foam' on a South Australian beach has killed scores of animals and caused several surfers to experience breathing issues and blurred vision, said local health authorities. Popular surf spots Waitpinga and neighbouring Parsons beach, some 80km south of Adelaide, were closed on Monday, the Department for Environment and Water said in a statement. The yellowish foam spanning hundreds of metres is likely to be a microalgal bloom, a toxin-producing algae, fuelled by a recent extended period of hot and dry temperatures with little wind and low tides, they added. Surfers reported experiencing blurred vision, itchy eyes, coughing and breathing difficulties after contact with the water. Anthony Rowland said he became 'really raspy' after swimming in the water over the weekend. 'It was sort of like when you inhale a potent cleaning product, if you're cleaning a kitchen sink or something. It hit the back of my throat,' he said. Mr Rowland described the residue as 'a really heavy, dense, yellow foam, with a fair bit of green, slimy, scummy stuff.' 'It is very concerning,' said South Australian Environment Protection Authority principal scientific officer, Sam Gaylard. 'It is unusual at this scale. At this time of year, when the weather conditions allow, we do occasionally get isolated blooms, but something of this scale is definitely a little bit unusual.' A state environment department spokesperson said the beaches had been closed 'in response to a fish mortality event in the area.' Pictures posted on social media showed dozens of dead octopus, sea dragons and fish washed up on the beaches. Mr Gaylard said they were 'not sure how long this will last', saying there's a risk a small ocean swell starting on Sunday could generate more foam. 'We think that it is probably an irritant, so a phytoplankton with some spiky structure to it but we really want to identify what the species is to confirm that,' he added. Mr Gaylard said that marine scientists took water samples from the foam on Monday, but it could take until the end of the week to identify the organism. South Australia Health said there have been no reported hospitalisations linked to the incident. The region has been experiencing drought conditions, with temperatures reaching a high of 39 degrees over the weekend. Blooms of toxic algae occur around the world and can cause mass mortality of aquatic species, especially fish and shellfish. The toxins can also affect water quality by blocking sunlight and depleting oxygen levels. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
Toxic ‘sea foam' kills animals and leaves surfers with breathing problems and blurred vision
A toxic 'sea foam' on a South Australian beach has killed scores of animals and caused several surfers to experience breathing issues and blurred vision, said local health authorities. Popular surf spots Waitpinga and neighbouring Parsons beach, some 80km south of Adelaide, were closed on Monday, the Department for Environment and Water said in a statement. The yellowish foam spanning hundreds of metres is likely to be a microalgal bloom, a toxin-producing algae, fuelled by a recent extended period of hot and dry temperatures with little wind and low tides, they added. Surfers reported experiencing blurred vision, itchy eyes, coughing and breathing difficulties after contact with the water. Anthony Rowland said he became 'really raspy' after swimming in the water over the weekend. 'It was sort of like when you inhale a potent cleaning product, if you're cleaning a kitchen sink or something. It hit the back of my throat,' he said. Mr Rowland described the residue as 'a really heavy, dense, yellow foam, with a fair bit of green, slimy, scummy stuff.' 'It is very concerning,' said South Australian Environment Protection Authority principal scientific officer, Sam Gaylard. 'It is unusual at this scale. At this time of year, when the weather conditions allow, we do occasionally get isolated blooms, but something of this scale is definitely a little bit unusual.' A state environment department spokesperson said the beaches had been closed 'in response to a fish mortality event in the area.' Pictures posted on social media showed dozens of dead octopus, sea dragons and fish washed up on the beaches. Mr Gaylard said they were 'not sure how long this will last', saying there's a risk a small ocean swell starting on Sunday could generate more foam. 'We think that it is probably an irritant, so a phytoplankton with some spiky structure to it but we really want to identify what the species is to confirm that,' he added. Mr Gaylard said that marine scientists took water samples from the foam on Monday, but it could take until the end of the week to identify the organism. South Australia Health said there have been no reported hospitalisations linked to the incident. The region has been experiencing drought conditions, with temperatures reaching a high of 39 degrees over the weekend. Blooms of toxic algae occur around the world and can cause mass mortality of aquatic species, especially fish and shellfish. The toxins can also affect water quality by blocking sunlight and depleting oxygen levels.
