South Australia Algal Bloom Ecological Disaster

A severe algal bloom has erupted in coastal waters off South Australia, turning the waters of St. Vincent Bay reddish-brown and causing mass deaths of fish and shellfish, which have been washed ashore. The government has issued an ecological alert, advising the public to avoid contact with discolored seawater, and fishermen have suspended operations. This algal bloom is the most severe in South Australia in nearly a decade and may be linked to marine heatwaves and abnormal increases in water temperature.