Support South Australian Coastal Communities Affected by Algal Bloom

2025/08/27 23:28:12

With South Australia’s harmful algal bloom devastating coastal communities, a University of South Australia tourism expert urges local communities to show solidarity and find creative ways to support affected regions.

Adjunct Senior lecturer in Tourism Management Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles asks South Australians to rally behind coastal communities hit hard by the bloom,which has killed thousands of marine animals and triggered widespread anxiety and economic pain.

For months, the state’s coastline has suffered from a large-scale bloom of karenia mikimotoi, a harmful algae killing marine life and degrading once-thriving underwater ecosystems. This disaster has also dealt a heavy blow to local tourism and community livelihoods, and threatens to extend into the peak holiday season.

Dr Higgins-Desbiolles believes intrastate travellers should use this crisis as an chance to support affected communities by holidaying in coastal hotspots during the upcoming spring and summer holidays and by thinking creatively about how to spend time there.

“Tourism possesses economic, social, and ecological value, so we should focus on how it can connect our communities and support recovery,” she says. “We might rethink tourism to center local communities and gather their input into recovery policies and planning. As we head into summer, we’ll need to get creative with events that bring people together and help build resilience.”

“most tourism businesses along the SA coast remain open, and although water conditions may vary, visitors can still enjoy the beach and explore other activities such as beach games and walks. Interstate visitors can also help by staying longer and ensuring their spending supports local businesses, such as markets, shops, bakeries, pubs, and wineries.”

Dr Higgins-Desbiolles suggests this could also be an ideal time for citizen scientists – a niche group of tourists – to visit affected areas, helping local communities collect data and boost scientific understanding of the bloom.

“We could call upon volunteer tourists who are keen to give back and help. For example, underwater divers could visit our coastal areas and assist with scientific or restoration work,” she says.

“Many people are already providing data on the scale of marine deaths, demonstrating a strong community response.” Read more at The Guardian.