South Australians are being given even more ways to help their coastline bounce back, with a new wave of community-led marine restoration projects rolling out as part of the State Government’s $102.5 million summer plan. Announced by Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Lucy Hood, the expanded initiatives are designed to harness the passion of locals who want to directly contribute to algal bloom recovery efforts across the state.
A major focus is boosting seagrass restoration, building on the volunteer-powered Seeds for Snapper Adelaide program at North Haven, which gives community members the chance to collect seagrass seeds washed ashore. Those seeds are then cleaned, sorted, and sewn into biodegradable sandbags before being placed back into the water to regrow vital underwater meadows. The program has already helped replant 50,000 seedlings across Gulf St Vincent in the past five years, with more to come this summer.
Minister Hood says community enthusiasm has been loud and clear. “South Australians are passionate about their marine environment and have made clear they want to step up and give back to coastal communities.” She says the Government is responding directly to what people have been asking for. “We’ve heard this at our community forums and responded through our summer plan to help the public contribute to projects making a difference across the state.” She adds that volunteers are already critical in the response, noting that “volunteers are already driving local initiatives, citizen science projects and on-ground observations, and expanding on these efforts to get more people involved will strengthen our recovery from this unprecedented event.”
Shellfish reef rebuilding is another community-friendly way to contribute. The first public shell recycling bin is now in place at the Tennyson Dunes carpark, allowing locals to drop off oyster, scallop and mussel shells from home. Donated shells are transported to Garden Island for processing before becoming the foundation for new community shellfish reefs.
Federal Member for Boothby Louise Miller-Frost says the new initiatives reflect what residents have been calling for. “It is great to see federal funding supporting the new measures in the Algal Bloom Summer Plan. Our community has been calling for practical action and this is a really positive step.” She says it’s clear how much locals care. “After hearing from so many locals and spending time with OzFish volunteers, it is clear that people care deeply about our marine environment. They want to get involved, they want to help, and they want to feel part of the solution.” She says the impact of the bloom has been widely felt. “The algal bloom has been difficult for our coastline and for the people who love it. Practical opportunities like seagrass restoration, native reef rebuilding and the volunteer portal give our community real ways to contribute to a healthier coast.”
OzFish SA Project Manager Brad Martin highlights how important these ecosystems are. “As well as providing an important habitat for fish, seagrasses help to stabilise soil and sediment on the ocean floor, helping to protect our shorelines from erosion and storms.” He says seagrasses are powerful tools for improving water quality. “Seagrasses store carbon and nutrients, which can help to improve water quality – a hectare of seagrass can store 35 times more carbon than a hectare of rainforest.” Martin says the organisation is proud to support the growing community movement. “OzFish’s shell recycling project is a sustainable solution that reduces waste and conserves our ocean. We are pleased to continue to work with the community to recycle as many shells as possible to build and restore South Australia’s shellfish reefs.”
To make joining in even easier, the Government has launched a new volunteer portal at algalbloom.sa.gov.au/get-involved, with registrations now open for seagrass restoration days, community reef projects and beach clean-up crews. A special ‘Shells for Reefs’ community day will also be held at Henley Square on Sunday 7 December to celebrate volunteers and encourage more South Australians to get involved.
