Credit: Shreyash Rane
Understanding the Harmful Algal Bloom
Right now, our coastal waters are experiencing a severe harmful algal bloom (HAB) event. Large amounts of algae are growing rapidly, fuelled by environmental conditions such as warm temperatures and nutrient-rich waters. While algal blooms are a natural occurrence, this one is unusually intense and widespread. On the surface, we’re seeing clear signs of washed-up seaweed, dying marine life, and discoloured water, but these are just the visible effects. What’s happening below the surface is far less understood, yet it’s where much of the ecological impact unfolds.
Why We’re Collecting Subtidal Images and Video
To bridge this knowledge gap, we’re collecting underwater images and video from affected sites across the state. This footage will provide a unique, long-term record of underwater conditions during and after algal blooms, helping researchers, scientists, and the broader community understand the full extent of its impact. Your footage will be curated and made public with the launch of our citizen science platform, AusOceanTV, where it will be available for community annotation and scientific analysis. Anyone can take part in identifying species, noting changes, and contributing to a growing dataset that supports both research and public awareness. By documenting the underwater story, we can work together to better understand, respond to, and prevent the worst impacts of HABs.
How to Contribute
Whether you're diving, snorkelling, or using an underwater camera or phone from a jetty, your contribution will help build an annotated video library for research, education, and long-term monitoring.
What We’re Looking For
Underwater footage and/or photos showing visible signs of algae bloom activity or impact Marine life affected by the bloom (e.g. fish and invertebrate mortalities) Footage and photos of adequate quality for species identification
How to Upload
Upload your video and images through the link below. Please upload footage from one site at a time. If you have footage from multiple sites, upload each separately to ensure location data is saved correctly.