Marine life smashed by toxic algae in South Australia - and the rest of Australia should be paying attention

Hundreds of dead marine species. Murky green waters. Closed oyster farms. A massive algal bloom is wreaking havoc off the coast of South Australia.

Archie Milligan
May 16, 2025

🐠 What’s happening

The waters off South Australia, including popular dive spots like the Edithburgh Jetty, have turned a thick green and brown.
Conservationists are reporting over 200 species dead — from small fish to great white sharks.
Beaches are littered with carcasses, and residents are being told to stay out of the water.

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🌡️ Why it matters

This bloom is part of a marine heatwave, with ocean temperatures around 2.5°C higher than usual.
Calm seas, higher air temps, and low winds have created perfect conditions for the algae to grow fast — and kill faster.
According to the Australian Marine Conservation Society, these heatwaves are becoming longer, more frequent, and more dangerous due to climate change.

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🧪 The science

The culprit is a toxic algal bloom — a rapid increase in algae that depletes oxygen and releases toxins.
Reef-dwelling species like pufferfish and crabs are hit especially hard because they can’t escape.
The last event of this scale happened in 2014, according to the South Australian Government.

More data is being crowd-sourced through sites like iNaturalist, where locals are mapping marine deaths.

⚠️ The fallout

Public health warning: Officials are urging people not to swim.
Fishing and tourism: Local oyster farms are under quarantine, and restaurants on Kangaroo Island are reportedly unable to serve fresh fish.
Government response: The state says it’s “monitoring the situation closely” — but there’s no word yet on support for impacted industries.

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🦠 What’s next

Experts are hoping to see:
- Cooler temperatures
- More ocean mixing between surface and deep waters
- Less sunlight and fewer nutrients to starve the algae
But all of that depends on the weather — and in a warming Australia, blooms like this could become more common.

📚 For a deep dive, check out this explainer by marine ecologist Dr Janine Baker.

Thumbnail Credit: Snorkel Spots (YouTube) / Supplied