Conservationists have referred to the weeks-long poisonous algae bloom off the coast of South Australia (SA) as “a horror movie for fish” since it has killed over 200 marine species.
Since March, the algal bloom—a sharp rise in the number of algae in water systems—has expanded to an area of around 4,500 square kilometers (3,400 square miles), or about the size of neighboring Kangaroo Island.
“It’s an unprecedented event, because the bloom has continued to build and build,” wildlife expert Vanessa Pirotta said.
According to some scientists, the chemicals produced by the algae “act like a toxic blanket that suffocates” a variety of marine creatures, including sharks, rays, and fish.
