A massive outbreak of toxic algae off South Australia, which has devastated hundreds of species of marine life and disrupted local tourism and fishing, is a “natural disaster,” state Premier Peter Malinauskas said recently. The algal bloom, first detected in March, spans an area 4,500 sq. km in size and has been aggravated by rising ocean temperatures, according to environment officials. “There are over 400 different species of marine life that have been killed off or have had deaths as a result of this algal bloom,” Malinauskas said. The toxic bloom has been caused by overgrowth of the Karenia mikimotoi algal species, which affects fish gills and sucks oxygen out of the water as it decomposes, the state’s environment department said. Source: https://www.reuters.com/