Scientists are warning that the wildlife impacts of a marine heatwave driving a catastrophic algal bloom off South Australia could rival those of the Black Summer bushfires, demanding a similar government response. Experts from five Australian universities describe it as “one of the worst marine disasters in living memory”, requiring rapid investigation to identify at-risk species and fund emergency interventions.
A report by the Biodiversity Council, an independent expert group, calls for seven actions including at least $10m for research into the bloom’s impact, a long-term monitoring program for southern reefs, and urgent work on species like giant cuttlefish. The federal Senate has established an inquiry into the disaster, which has killed thousands of marine animals.
Coalition senator Anne Ruston criticised the federal and SA governments for being slow to act, saying the $28m in assistance packages announced this week is “manifestly inadequate”. Federal MP Rebekha Sharkie echoed this, suggesting more funding would be allocated if the event occurred at Bondi Beach.
Professor Gretta Pecl of the University of Tasmania said the marine heatwave’s national impact on wildlife may equal that of the Black Summer fires, noting previous mobilisation of $2bn for bushfire recovery. The report stresses that the crisis is a “human-mediated disaster” worsened by ocean warming and calls for accelerated decarbonisation to prevent future blooms.
