<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/22/south-australia-sa-algal-bloom-whyalla-cuttlefish>
"Mid-June is usually the peak time for giant Australian cuttlefish to gather
near Whyalla, in South Australia’s Spencer Gulf.
Nearly every year, they come in their thousands – and sometimes hundreds of
thousands – to assemble in the shallows to breed. It’s a globally unique
natural phenomenon, celebrated locally as “Cuttlefest”.
But so far this year, only a few dozen have turned up.
Associate professor Zoe Doubleday, a marine ecologist at Adelaide University,
says it’s “something we haven’t seen before”.
While it is difficult to know for certain the cause of such a meagre turnout,
on “the balance of probabilities it is likely to do with the [algal] bloom”,
Doubleday says. This could be due to direct exposure, or exacerbated by a
decline in their food source.
Australia’s first bloom of toxic
Karenia cristata algae, which began in March
last year, is still present along the South Australian coastline, including
parts of the Spencer Gulf. It is the largest and most destructive algal bloom
in the nation’s history.
“We know the effect of
Karenia on cephalopods is swift and fatal,” says
Doubleday, who is researching the impact of the bloom on the group, which
includes cuttlefish, squids, octopuses and nautiluses.
The latest testing results show elevated levels of
Karenia algae at eight out
of 32 testing sites on the southern Eyre Peninsula and in southern Spencer
Gulf, with the highest concentrations of 432,899 cells-per-litre at Proper Bay.
The government considers levels above 10,000 per litre as “elevated”, with
higher counts suggesting a bloom could be under way."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
