National Office for Algal Bloom Research opens in Adelaide

Australia’s first dedicated central hub for algal bloom research has opened in Adelaide.

The $3.2 million Office for Algal Bloom Research has been established within the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), placing Adelaide at the forefront of algal bloom management and research.

The establishment of this nation-leading algae science hub forms part of the Federal and South Australian Governments’ $37 million investment in strengthening algal bloom science, research and monitoring through the Algal Bloom Science Program.

Leading the work of the Office for Algal Bloom Research will be a newly recruited, highly skilled team of oceanographers, data modellers and phytoplankton experts who will build on the work of SARDI’s existing expert scientists.

The team will deliver coordinated, long-term research programs focused on better understanding the formation, spread and impacts of algal blooms, with the goal of informing the development of new responses technology that will better protect our ecosystem, industries and communities both now and into the future.

This collaborative approach to algal bloom research was on full display earlier this month, when more than 200 researchers, industry representatives, government officials and community stakeholders from across Australia and the world came together for the Algal Bloom Research Symposium in Adelaide.

The two-day summit included presentations of the latest findings in algal bloom science, advances in monitoring and forecasting, and new insights into what drives algal blooms and how they affect ecosystems and communities.

Learnings from the Symposium will help to inform and guide the work of the Office for Algal Bloom Research.

The Federal and South Australian Governments have invested in the establishment of this new hub and the Algal Bloom Science Program through the jointly-funded $162.5 million response to the harmful algal bloom in South Australia.