North Australian FISH FINDER forums

Much of Murray River flood plume went west ... https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/10/1711

Unfortunately the fish deaths are continuing around Adelaide into the winter.

Chatgpt outlines the bloom warnings ...

Here’s the full breakdown of the warnings the Australian Federal Government received about the algae bloom now affecting South Australia:
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1. The First Formal Warning – 2023

From: Great Southern Reef Research Partnership (GSRRP) — a coalition of scientists from universities and marine research bodies across southern Australia.

To: Federal Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Content:

Warned of a looming marine heatwave in southern Australia that could cause widespread ecological collapse.

Used the analogy of an “underwater bushfire that can't be extinguished” to emphasise the severity.

Urged the creation of a national monitoring program for the Great Southern Reef — to detect early warning signs like unusual water temperatures, nutrient spikes, and algal growth.

Requested $40 million over ten years for long-term monitoring and rapid-response measures.

Response:

According to GSRRP, they received no commitment to the monitoring program and no significant new funding.

Warnings were effectively left unacted upon.

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2. Second Warning – Early to Mid 2025 (May)

From: Same coalition (GSRRP).

To: Minister Plibersek, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Content:

Alerted that marine heatwave conditions had already developed along parts of South Australia’s coastline.

Cited high sea-surface temperatures and nutrient conditions ripe for toxic algal blooms.

Explicitly stated that South Australia’s gulf waters were at risk of a major bloom, threatening:

Fish stocks

Aquaculture (especially mussels, oysters, and tuna)

Tourism

Coastal ecosystems

Urged the government to fast-track mitigation and support plans.

Response:

No emergency funding or coordinated mitigation action at that point.

State and federal agencies continued routine monitoring, but no major intervention occurred.

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3. Escalation and Aftermath – July 2025

The algal bloom had already spread significantly through Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent.

Fish kills, loss of aquaculture harvests, and closures of some fisheries were reported.

On 21 July 2025, the federal government announced $14 million in emergency aid, mainly for:

Scientific research into causes and prevention.

Immediate industry support for impacted fisheries and aquaculture.

Assistance with clean-up and monitoring.

Scientists have stated this came too late to prevent the damage.

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Key Points About the Warnings

They were specific — not just general climate predictions.

They identified location (southern Australia, especially South Australian gulfs), mechanism (marine heatwave → nutrient changes → algal bloom), and timing risk (within the next few years).

They were issued two years before the bloom and again months before it exploded.

Requests for a long-term, funded national reef monitoring system were not met.

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This site has all the info ... https://greatsouthernreef.com/2025-algal-bloom

CSIRO graphic attached showing how the marine heat hit around Australia, more info here ... https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articl ... e-planning

Looks like the Pilbara was hit particularly hard.

Why is no one pointing fingers at the massive De-Sal plant out there? My bet would be on it. Climate change my arse!!

SA bloom report with quotes from an international expert ... https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-21/ ... /105667730

I wish the desal plants were to blame because they could be modified or turned off (maybe), but the global nature of the heat anomalies suggests otherwise. The heat was predicted by science. Desal, fish farms, Murray flood, ocean upwellings, sewage etc may all be additional factors.

Another theory - phosphorous based fire retardants sprayed on the Murray catchment (and Kangaroo Island) during the bushfires ... https://www.facebook.com/reel/1544448243602750

Doesn't have to be one cause, probably several contributing factors.

Report in The Guardian suggests they still don't know much about the algal bloom that is going strong in South Australia through winter, they have observed several Karenia species including a possible "new" one.

Can't link the story for some reason.

Suss that it is worst in St Vincent Gulf, this does make desal look like a contributor, but who knows ...

Expert's opinion ... https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CtsKLbHTt/

If I read it correctly, she said there have been multiple blooms from different species, which SA oyster farmers were advised of, but the government is only reporting some of it to the general public.

Poor environmental conditions, primarily heat, are the main driver, she says, and the "mixotrophic dinoflagellates" that are the main problem thrive when other organisms are in distress.

Lastly, the expert mentioned above has listed a series of requirements to solve the bloom problem, which is fast becoming a global issue.

To cut a long story short, it means basically doing the exact opposite of what the Trump administration is doing (my words, not hers).

With the world's largest economy now putting its foot on the gas and winding back clean energy projects, while cutting back environmental departments and programs, the blooms will get worse, and spread.

Frustrating to see on Facebook so many people blaming Chinese ships, aircraft contrails and just about everything other than global warming.

Another theory ... https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AyxCU9SK4/

Related matter - 100 countries agreed to a shipping emissions deal and were ready to sign and Trump scuttled it ... https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3vnl0yxg53o

Good to see people pushing back at the destruction of USA and corresponding damage to the global environment
... https://www.reddit.com/r/goodnews/s/mGVMSMdldw

Not something that can be ignored if you want good fish habitat.

Interesting finding on effect of algal blooms on dolphins' brains ... https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/worl ... lzheimers/

Fishing restrictions in place ... https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just- ... -sa-waters