Karenia cristata and Brevetoxins: The Human Health Dimension of South Australia’s Harmful Algal Bloom

For much of 2025, South Australia’s extraordinary harmful algal bloom was primarily described as an ecological catastrophe. Fish, octopuses and other marine animals washed ashore dead, while large areas of coastline were affected by discoloured water and foam. Yet some of the earliest warning signs were not confined to the sea. People visiting affected beaches reported coughing, sore throats,…