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South Australian HAB update: Identification of the brevetoxin producer Karenia cristata.

  • ANZHABNET
  • Nov 13, 2025
  • 1 min read

Research led by Professor Shauna Murray from the University of Technology Sydney has identified Karenia cristata as a dominant species in the South Australian algal bloom. This event has impacted >20,000 sq km in the region since March 2025. This is the first time that brevetoxins have been reported in Australia and also the first time that Karenia cristata has been confirmed as a brevetoxin producing species.


These findings are part of a manuscript, which is currently under review, and is available online via a preprint server (see https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.31.685766v1.full.pdf). More than 20 scientists from Australia, New Zealand and the UK contributed to this work.


Photograph from manuscript (fig 3) morphology of Karenia cristata from South Australian blooms and laboratory cultures
Morphology of Karenia cristata from South Australian blooms and laboratory cultures (source https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.31.685766v1.full.pdf)


You can read more about the impact of this research in a selection of recent news articles.






 
 
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