WEBVTT - The giant cuttlefish and the deadly algal bloom

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<v Speaker 1>I first went to South Australia in mid June, at

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<v Speaker 1>which point, Yeah, the bloom was in full swing. The

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<v Speaker 1>large number of fish and marine life have been washing

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<v Speaker 1>up dead along the shore, including two penguins in the

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<v Speaker 1>past week.

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<v Speaker 2>It's been one year since dead fish began washing up

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<v Speaker 2>on South Australian beaches as the largest algal bloom in

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<v Speaker 2>Australia's history spread along the coast. Marina College Ast doctor

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<v Speaker 2>Scott Bennett was part of the team that first surveyed

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<v Speaker 2>the bloom.

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<v Speaker 1>Nobody was looking under the water, nobody had seen impacts

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<v Speaker 1>on the reef, and in discussion with colleagues in South Australia,

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<v Speaker 1>they had really limited capacity to get out there and

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<v Speaker 1>have a look.

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<v Speaker 2>Seven Am spoke with doctor Bennett in August twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 2>five after he had just come face to face with

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<v Speaker 2>the devastating impact of the largest algal bloom Australia has

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<v Speaker 2>ever seen. Twelve months on, the bloom is still there,

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<v Speaker 2>the damage are spread and many of the warning scientists

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<v Speaker 2>made in those early days have proved well founded, especially

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<v Speaker 2>the damage to marine life. I'm Daniel James and you're

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<v Speaker 2>listening to seven AM today.

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<v Speaker 3>We're bringing you.

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<v Speaker 2>An episode from August twenty twenty five where host Ruby

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<v Speaker 2>Jones speaks to marine ecologist doctor Scott Bennett about what

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<v Speaker 2>caused bloom. What we saw beneath the surface are what

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<v Speaker 2>it means for the fate of the ocean. It's Sunday,

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<v Speaker 2>March twenty two.

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<v Speaker 4>Calls are growing for the Commonwealth to declare an enormous

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<v Speaker 4>algal bloom off the coast of South Australia a natural disaster.

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<v Speaker 4>It's been described as an underwater bushfire because of the

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<v Speaker 4>devastating effect on marine life.

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<v Speaker 5>Scott, You've conducted the only underwater survey of the impacts

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<v Speaker 5>of the algal bloom in South Australia, So can you

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<v Speaker 5>tell me about what you saw.

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<v Speaker 1>It was one of the most devastating dive trips I've

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<v Speaker 1>ever been on, to be honest. So you know, we

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<v Speaker 1>do these trips around the country monitoring biodiversity of our reefs,

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<v Speaker 1>and when we do them, they typically really enjoyable trips. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>we have just these amazing help forest ecosystems throughout Southern Australia.

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<v Speaker 3>Visibility is often really nice.

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<v Speaker 1>You can see a lot of life and diversity on

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<v Speaker 1>these dives, so they're really exciting trips to go on.

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<v Speaker 1>This trip, the whole spectra of it was unlike anything

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<v Speaker 1>we normally do.

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<v Speaker 6>Beach goers first sounded the alarm about the micro algal

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<v Speaker 6>bloom back in March, after dead marine life washed up

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<v Speaker 6>along the Flurio Peninsula and surfers reported feeling unwell.

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<v Speaker 3>You know.

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<v Speaker 1>On the first dive, To be honest, kind of fulfilled

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<v Speaker 1>our expectations. We actually couldn't see anything. It was just

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<v Speaker 1>so turbid and stirred up. But we continued on and

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<v Speaker 1>conditions over the day and that week got better, but

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<v Speaker 1>the realization of the impacts on the marine life were

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<v Speaker 1>really reinforced.

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<v Speaker 4>The algal bloom has spread into the Gulf of Saint Vincent,

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<v Speaker 4>with smaller mini blooms likely present in the Spencer Golf too.

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<v Speaker 1>I've never seen so many dead animals on the bottom

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<v Speaker 1>of the ocean. Normally, if things die, they get consumed

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<v Speaker 1>or washed away or taken away pretty quickly.

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<v Speaker 3>This wasn't the case. Right now.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a lot of dead, particularly invertebrate animals, the things

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<v Speaker 1>like sea stars, crabs, dead and lying around on the bottom.

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<v Speaker 4>More than twelve thousand animals are estimated to have died

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<v Speaker 4>so far, including fish, sting, rays, dolphins, and sharks. Commercial

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<v Speaker 4>fishes have been forced to pause their operations indefinitely.

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<v Speaker 1>A lot of fish that you would expect to see

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<v Speaker 1>just weren't there.

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<v Speaker 3>A lot of the reefs would ghostly quiet.

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<v Speaker 1>But at the same time, a lot of the seaweeds

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<v Speaker 1>and a lot of the reefs were okay, like reasonably healthy,

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<v Speaker 1>and so it wasn't a complete apocalypse.

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<v Speaker 5>Okay, Well, tell me more about the algal bloom itself.

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<v Speaker 5>What is it exactly and how did it start?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, So, in this case, the hat the harmful algal

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<v Speaker 1>bloom is a bloom of microalgae, harmful micro algae in

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<v Speaker 1>this context. The reported species a lot is Krenia mikimoti,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's actually a multiple species that are forming this bloom.

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<v Speaker 1>But what's concerning is there's a number of there's types

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<v Speaker 1>of toxins, so things brevity toxins which are being found

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<v Speaker 1>in these blooms haven't been recorded in Australia before. So

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<v Speaker 1>while harmful algal blooms are actually really common around Australia,

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<v Speaker 1>we see them in all states. We see them in

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<v Speaker 1>some form each year, We've never seen anything of this

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<v Speaker 1>magnitude before this scale.

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<v Speaker 5>And so what are the conditions that lead to a

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<v Speaker 5>bloom like this? What do you need to have in

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<v Speaker 5>the ocean.

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<v Speaker 1>So typically we need warm temperatures, long days, plenty of

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<v Speaker 1>light and nutrients. And for this bloom, what we saw

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<v Speaker 1>was we had a really intense marine heatwave. It's one

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<v Speaker 1>of the most intense marine heat waves recorded in South Australia,

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<v Speaker 1>which seems to have been a real trigger. It obviously

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<v Speaker 1>occurred in summertime where we still have long days, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was on this base of high nutrient conditions. So

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<v Speaker 1>the nutrient trigger or the nutrients sauce is still unknown,

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<v Speaker 1>but yeah, certainly nutrients are an important factor as well

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<v Speaker 1>as temperature.

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<v Speaker 5>What is it like for you as someone who has

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<v Speaker 5>spent their working life in reefs gone on? I'm sure

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<v Speaker 5>many dives seen incredible things underwater. What is it like

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<v Speaker 5>to do a dive like this and witness the state

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<v Speaker 5>of the reef right now?

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<v Speaker 1>It's really devastating to see the state of the reef

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<v Speaker 1>the moment. And for me as a scientist as well,

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<v Speaker 1>South Australia is a really unique place for the bider diversity,

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<v Speaker 1>least reef biodiversity. Around seventy percent of the species that

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<v Speaker 1>live on the reefs in this area are unique to

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<v Speaker 1>the region, unique to Southern Australia. They're unique because they've

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<v Speaker 1>been isolated literally for tens of millions of years here

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<v Speaker 1>at the bottom of the earth, basically not found anywhere

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<v Speaker 1>else on Earth. And until now, South Australia has been

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<v Speaker 1>a bit of a refuge for a lot of these

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<v Speaker 1>unique temperate species. We've had huge impacts on our east

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<v Speaker 1>and west coast of the country due to marine heat

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<v Speaker 1>waves and the like, and for whatever reason, South Australia

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<v Speaker 1>hadn't suffered those heat waves and those impacts until now,

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<v Speaker 1>and so the population levels of some of our most

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<v Speaker 1>rare and bizarre organisms were stable or high in South

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<v Speaker 1>Australia where they collapsed everywhere else. And now that refuge

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<v Speaker 1>is under attack.

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<v Speaker 5>Can you tell me more about those species? What sorts

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<v Speaker 5>of creatures are we talking about?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, there's a whole host of really weird, wonderful things.

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<v Speaker 1>I think some of the most iconic, like our leafy

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<v Speaker 1>sea dragons, particularly around the Adelaide coastline, and the fluri

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<v Speaker 1>of Peninsula places like Rapid Bay and Victor Harbor. These

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<v Speaker 1>are real tourist attractions to come and see these leafy

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<v Speaker 1>sea dragons, which you only find in South Australia and

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<v Speaker 1>in parts of southwestern Australia across the Brema Bay. But

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<v Speaker 1>in the early days of the bloom people were finding

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<v Speaker 1>dozens of these washed up and you know, they're not

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<v Speaker 1>huge populations, so they're obviously a massive concern. Another massive concern,

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<v Speaker 1>which is a really live issue at the moment, are

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<v Speaker 1>the giant cuttlefish. And each year there's this remarkable event

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<v Speaker 1>where just thousands on thousands of cuttlefish come and aggregate

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<v Speaker 1>in this small area to mate and lay eggs. At

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<v Speaker 1>the moment, the bloom is tracking up the Spencer Gulf

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<v Speaker 1>towards these aggregations. Currently the adults have laid their eggs

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<v Speaker 1>and they're now going through their natural senescence phase.

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<v Speaker 3>There's a lot of concern for.

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<v Speaker 1>What will become of this new cohort that's about to hatch,

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<v Speaker 1>and if the bloom continues to move up, it could.

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<v Speaker 3>Reach there in the next weeks. If nothing changes.

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<v Speaker 5>Coming up, what will happen if the cuttlefish and the

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<v Speaker 5>bloom collide. Scott the algal bloom in South Australia is

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<v Speaker 5>still spreading and it's getting closer and closer to the

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<v Speaker 5>gathering of these giant cuttlefish that's happening right now. So

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<v Speaker 5>if the bloom does spread to where they are, what

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<v Speaker 5>impact will that have.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, there's a real risk that we lose this entire cohort,

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<v Speaker 1>which means this entire population is under genuine and serious

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<v Speaker 1>threat from the hab There's been a number of emergency

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<v Speaker 1>meetings trying discussing possible interventions and things like this. But

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<v Speaker 1>the scale of these aggregations and these breeding events, and

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<v Speaker 1>the time frame that we're working with, which is literally

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<v Speaker 1>you know now, things have to happen immediately, it is significant.

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<v Speaker 1>Interventions aren't really on the table. Things like removing eggs

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<v Speaker 1>and relocating them, you know, just the feasibility of those

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<v Speaker 1>things are deemed not possible right now, and so there

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<v Speaker 1>is a real risk these populations are lost or they're

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<v Speaker 1>going to be severely impacted we would expect.

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<v Speaker 5>And one of the scariest things about this algal bloom

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<v Speaker 5>is the scale of it. And it's still spreading, I believe.

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<v Speaker 5>So as you watch that happen, what is that telling

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<v Speaker 5>you about the fate of our oceans?

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<v Speaker 1>More broadly, Yes, I think One of the scary things

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<v Speaker 1>about this is the scale of the impact. Is the

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<v Speaker 1>largest harmful algal bloom that we've seen in Australia, most devastating.

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<v Speaker 1>It's spanning across tens of thousands of squadkilometers of reef,

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<v Speaker 1>of marine habitat, and we don't expect this to be

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<v Speaker 1>an isolated or unique event to South Australia. This is

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<v Speaker 1>quite symptomatic of the impacts of climate change that we're

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<v Speaker 1>seeing throughout our coastlines around Australia. I mean, it was

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<v Speaker 1>only this summer that northwestern Australia, up off Ningaloo, the

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<v Speaker 1>roly Shoal, some of our most iconic coral reefs, suffered

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<v Speaker 1>some of the most devastating bleaching events that they've ever

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<v Speaker 1>experienced as well. So this is happening in parallel with

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<v Speaker 1>the hab down here. We know in southeastern Australia these

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<v Speaker 1>synergistic or compounding impacts of really rapid rates of warming

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<v Speaker 1>down the coast of Tasmania eastern Victoria. That's bringing new

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<v Speaker 1>species further and further south. And so in the case

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<v Speaker 1>of Tasmania, it's bringing this long spine sea urch and

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<v Speaker 1>further south, and these long spine search is overgrazing that

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<v Speaker 1>they're voracious herbivores. They feed on kelp and seaweeds and

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<v Speaker 1>they create these large baron areas that are devoid of vegetation.

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<v Speaker 1>And those barren areas are spreading really rapidly through Tasmania,

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<v Speaker 1>Eastern Victoria, in the far south of New South Wales

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<v Speaker 1>now and it's another one of these synergistic effects of

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<v Speaker 1>climate change that we're seeing on our coasts. That's affecting

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<v Speaker 1>thousands of kilometers and the future of hundreds of thousands

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<v Speaker 1>of reef species.

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<v Speaker 5>So with all of that already happening, what could be

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<v Speaker 5>done now to protect this marine life.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, so the have was really triggered by the intense

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<v Speaker 1>marine heat wave we had in South Australia. We know

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<v Speaker 1>heat waves are becoming more frequent and more intense with

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<v Speaker 1>climate change, and so we really need to act on

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<v Speaker 1>climate change as an Australian community, as a global community,

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<v Speaker 1>reduce our carbon emissions immediately. We can't avoid or get

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<v Speaker 1>around that. That has to be a number one priority.

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<v Speaker 1>It's also obviously a long game. There's so much inertia

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<v Speaker 1>in the system, and so at a more regional local context,

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<v Speaker 1>there are things we can also do so. Looking after

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<v Speaker 1>our coastal waterways and minimizing nutrient pollution is really important

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<v Speaker 1>and there are several ways we can do that.

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<v Speaker 3>So we know.

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<v Speaker 1>Our marine habitats play a really crucial role in filtering

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<v Speaker 1>the water. So kelp forests, seagrasses and oyster reefs amazing

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<v Speaker 1>filters of the water. They uptake nutrients and keep our

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<v Speaker 1>coastal water waste clear. So maintaining healthy habitats is one

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<v Speaker 1>of the best things we can do to bolster the

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<v Speaker 1>resilience of our coastal systems.

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<v Speaker 5>And if those changes don't happen, what's at stake here?

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<v Speaker 1>This have has really shown what's at stake. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>the algor bloom in South Australia is just crippled local

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<v Speaker 1>fishing industry, it's crippled the tourism industry, and it's had

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<v Speaker 1>an enormous emotional psychological effect on South Australian people and

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<v Speaker 1>the Australian society more. And these impacts are very real

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<v Speaker 1>at a human level, they're very real and they.

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<v Speaker 3>Affect us personally.

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<v Speaker 1>At an ecological environmental scale, we could be losing thousands

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<v Speaker 1>upon thousands of species that are unique, that have been

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<v Speaker 1>swimming these waters for literally tens of millions of years,

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<v Speaker 1>and they could be gone on our watch.

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<v Speaker 5>Well, Scott, thank you so much for speaking with me today.

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<v Speaker 3>Thanks very much.

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<v Speaker 2>For tomorrow, we're bringing you an episode with journalist Tamus

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<v Speaker 2>McDonald and where to draw the line between facts and

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<v Speaker 2>fiction in a world where deep fakes and disinformation are

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<v Speaker 2>increasingly weaponized online?

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<v Speaker 7>What happens to democratic society, What happens to community? What

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<v Speaker 7>happens to our ability to solve problems If we can't

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<v Speaker 7>agree on a set of facts to begin with, the

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<v Speaker 7>think it is a really profound challenge for us.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm Daniel James. This is seven am. Thanks for listening.