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The harmful algal bloom (HAB) in southern Australian coastal waters has caused widespread and devastating impacts to marine ecosystems, fisheries and coastal communities. But we now need to focus on developing solutions and mitigating this type of threat for the future.

The HAB is a culmination of at least three, long-term, high-impact threats that have been degrading the resilience of the State's marine gulf ecosystems for decades.

• A Marine HeatwaveÌý- caused by climate change and a warming ocean
• Nutrient Pollution - this pollution has two distinct components: a chronic, long-term overload and an acute, recent shock from the River Murray floods.
• Ecosystem Degradation – including the loss of shellfish reefs and seagrass meadows that has led to a loss of coastal resilience

As advised in a recent submission to the into algal blooms in South Australia, researchers from the Environment Institute at the University of ÑÇÖÞÉ«°É, recommend the immediate actions:

Understanding the contribution of environmental, land management and water quality factors to the HAB
To protect the environment, it is important to understand the factors that influence land management, water quality, and climate imapcts. National and State programs already in place to limit greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon storage should continue, as these play a critical role in reducing climate impacts.

At the same time, clear and measurable targets need to be set for reducing pollutants such as nutrients and sediments in waterways. By addressing these pollutants, we can limit the risks posed by runoff from both average rainfall and large flood events, ensuring that water discharges do not cause lasting harm to the environment.

Social, economic, cultural and Indigenous impacts of algal blooms
There is currently some alarming levels of mis-information around the cause of the HAB (e.g. deliberate introduction by foreign vessels), there needs to be greater provision of information to help educate the community, while fighting misinformation that is being spread about the HABs.Ìý

The fishing industry, at recreational and commercial levels, have faced mass disruptions due to the HAB. To mitigate future risk of economic downturn, a broad piece of work is recommended, to ensure the full extent of the economic impact is captured, along with the longevity predication of the HAB, is recorded correctly. This would apply to fisheries but also associated industries where negative impact has struck.

Identifying the social and ecological impacts of the HABs is a unified effort. Using a OneHealth approach, it emphasises the interdependence of environmental, animal and human health. One health advocates for the cross-collaboration between different sectors, disciplines, and stakeholders – if we want action we must work together toward a solution at all levels. ÌýThis response should integrate ecosystem health, wildlife health, and human health and community well-being.

Understanding the cultural impact, environmental misery and heritage change involved on Indigenous communities is a priority. To account for any loss of access to traditional fishing, along with the cultural and economic impacts on Indigenous communities, a heritage and wellbeing impact assessment needs to be conducted. Also by integrating cultural values into long-term restoration and biodiversity recovery strategies, it will ensure future projects will better align with community priorities.

Coordination of State and Federal government responses, including support, industry engagement and scientific advice
Ensuring there is sufficient support, industry engagement, and scientific advice to help coordinate both State and Federal levels of government responses is essential. A new body is proposed – to establish a South Australian Coastal Catchment Authority. Drawing on the analysis of the governance gap, where there is a lack of regulatory frameworks to address issues such as HAB, a full review of legislation would be required to establish the most appropriate governance model is required.

Viewing examples of other successful integrated management bodies elsewhere, such as Chesapeake Bay Program, Tampa Bay Estuary Program and the NSW Marine Estate Department, such Ìýa body would unite individuals from Government, Industry, and the community, to care and manage for marine systems.

From a legal perspective, there is a clear need to examine how the Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2015Ìýcan be better strengthened, and more importantly legally enforced, potentially through the new Biodiversity Act. This would require legal binding numeric criteria for water quality, while considering the best way to understand how pollution origins are handled.

A review across the existing policy and legal frameworks for disasters and nationally significant emergencies is required. This would include designing support systems that better plan future approaches to assess and mitigate further risks. In turn it would improve the overall long-term adaptation and proactiveness surrounding existing policies.

Current support and recovery arrangements for impacted industries and communities
The current situation has caused economic disadvantages for many industries, financial support for fishing, tourism and other impacted businesses would of course seek to help them where possible, while focusing on ways to build community resilience, and develop further research, monitoring and restoration efforts.

One method of recovery support is to rebuild natural defences. The goal must be an enormous state-led initiative, aiming to restore the thousands of hectares of lost seagrass, a decent portion of the 1,500 km of degraded shellfish reefs, and mangrove habitat.

A key "Reefs and Meadows" restoration program should be established for the Gulfs. This would feature large-scale seeding of seagrasses and mangroves, and the construction of new native oyster reef substrates throughout historically documented locations, but should also include restoration of riparian, swamp, marsh and wetland systems on land.

Long-term prevention and support for future research
Sufficient long-term monitoring, forecasting and prevention strategies, will provide insight to create proactive ways crisis like the HAB can be addressed in future. This also includes funding and institutional support for marine science and environmental data collection.

To follow through with this, a comprehensive ecological baseline assessment should be created. This would be an urgent scientific program that is required to map the full extent of the ecological damage, providing critical data for quantifying the loss and setting realistic targets for future restoration efforts. It would go beyond cataloguing fish kills but to include detailed sub-tidal surveys of seagrass, macroalgal, reef, and soft-sediment communities, to establish a new, post-bloom baseline.

It will also be vital to expand predictive modelling through the support and development of the existing teams who conduct oceanographic and ecological modelling, as it predicts the movement of the current bloom and, more importantly, to foresee the risk of future blooms under various climate and nutrient scenarios, creating the proactive response we need for better preparedness. Ìý

In addition to the existing research investment coming from Australian and State Government Departments, the research that has been recommended in the submission could be funded with further additional support. This would via a range of existing instruments that have historically supported similar works.

These include the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) and special research funding calls administered by the Australian Research Council (ARC), National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

Environment Institute HAB Capability Statement
In the last month we have also produced and published the Environment Institute Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Capability statement, in which keyÌýresearch priorities have been identified. This Statement lists our leading researchers, their expertise, partnerships and their key publications, outputs and contributions.

By creating this statement, we’re able to clearly communicate how we can contribute, and are contributing, to actionable impact related to the HAB. You can download and read the HAB capability statement. You can also .

You can download and read the Environment Institute’s full submission (number 40 of 44)