Marine

A 30-year professional fisherman who grew up surfing and spearfishing says he’s too worried about the shark numbers he sees in the ocean every week to paddle out at his favourite break ... Ben Hay spoke to the Clarence Valley Independent about the explosion in shark numbers he has seen during his career, what has contributed to this population increase, and possible remedies to the current problem.

A spate of shark attacks around Australia in the first half of 2026, including four fatalities and a recent local incident has seen calls for protections on sharks to be lifted or a cull to occur. This year the attacks began on January 18, at Sydney Harbour’s Shark Beach at Vaucluse, when a 12-year-old boy was killed by a suspected Bull shark.

It's the start of the ‘Seal-ly season' on the Central Coast, says marine mammal specialist Ronny Ling. Mr Ling, of Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast, said winter doesn't highlight only the migration north of some whales; it also triggers some seals to head up the coast as well.

Ned Thomas. Scientists and government authorities are at odds over what a noticeable shift in desalination monitoring data is really showing. The Adelaide Desalination Plant at Lonsdale has come under renewed scrutiny following months of debate about the cause of the harmful algal bloom which has affected South Australian waters.

Australia’s first dedicated central hub for algal bloom research has opened in Adelaide. The $3.2 million Office for Algal Bloom Research has been established within the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), placing Adelaide at the forefront of algal bloom management and research.

Ten new trainee Fisheries and Marine Officers (FMOs) are now on deck to help boost fisheries compliance efforts across Western Australia. The new officers graduated this month after completing a comprehensive four-month training program with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and will join more than 100 fisheries officers across the State.

An investigation by the State Opposition has uncovered multiple examples of Government spin doctors banning the words ‘outbreak’ and ‘harmful’ from communications about the algal bloom. The Freedom of Information documents reveal instructions coming from staff within the Premier’s own department, as well as the Environment Department’s PR team.  

In early-April 2024, the Sable Shearwater (formerly known as the Flesh-footed Shearwater) was added to Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS; also known as the Bonn Convention).

129 new publicly accessible Shark Bite Trauma Kits will be installed at each of the state’s surf clubs as part of Surf Life Saving NSW’s continued focus on increased community safety. The trauma kits will be affixed to the external wall of each NSW surf club where, in the event of a reported shark incident...

In response to months of improved beach conditions and latest monitoring trends, the State Government is now in a position to adjust some of its Algal Bloom Summer Plan response measures. Water testing results show the vast majority of South Australia’s coastline continues to record zero or low levels of the Karenia algae species, building on the encouraging monitoring data over the past three months.

Patricia Gill. Ryan Clarke made the find of a lifetime, a 328g lump of mostly black substance, ambergris, or ‘floating gold', last week on Ocean Beach. Ryan was walking his dogs on the beach and casting a lure to catch some salmon at low tide when he spotted the lump washed up in the shallows at the sand bar.

The first of the migrating humpback whales have been spotted off the Central Coast but the best is still to come, says Marine Mammal Specialist with Marine Wildlife Rescue Central Coast Ronny Ling ... "The first whales to start travelling are the juvenile males, then the pregnant ones and the mothers with calves from the last few years. The big breeding males then leave and are the fastest travellers."

Caitlin Menadue. Algal bloom levels are shifting along northern Yorke Peninsula, with concerns growing for local marine life — including the region's well-known stingrays. Recent footage captured in Moonta Bay showed a large fever of rays moving through shallow waters late last month, with locals suggesting they may be trying to escape the bloom.

Patricia Gill. Bernard Wong hopes to inspire a shared custodial ownership of the submarine world at Greens Pool. "When people have a strong, intimate connection with a place, they will work hard to look after it," he says. Since 1990 he has observed the movement of rays and their flotilla of cleaner fish, giant blue groper, camouflaged wobbegongs, conspiring old wives and much more submerged among the granite pillars.

Gary Sexton. Pinetree guests, Sam and Will, from country Victoria recently had a day out on Island Charter vessel Belle Chase. Skipper, Flinders Young, promised them a nice day out fishing for Wahoo and Kingfish around Balls Pyramid - but you can imagine their surprise when a giant Pacific Sailfish exploded onto the lures being trolled behind the boat.

Austinn Lane. A large bronze whaler shark was spotted at the recent Berry Bay Surf Jam on southern Yorke Peninsula, thanks to drone technology. South Australian Shark Watch founding director, Anton Covino took drones to the event to test their potential for monitoring shark activity.

Public consultation is now open on proposed changes to blue swimmer crab rules in the West Coast bioregion to make the rules easier to understand and to provide better fishing experiences for recreational fishers. The proposed changes would bring in one set of bag and boat limit rules in the West Coast bioregion, which runs from Black Point east of Augusta to the Zuytdorp Cliffs north of Kalbarri.

Sharks and rays are among the most endangered groups of animals on the planet ... The marine parks around Lord Howe Island have now been recognised as an Important Shark and Ray Area ... The waters here support feeding and reproduction for Galapagos sharks...

The Parliamentary Committee into the State’s algal bloom crisis has been unable to reach a consensus, with Labor members blocking the Committee including its findings in the formal report. The Committee was forced to publish multiple dissenting reports, from the Liberal team and Committee Chair, Greens MLC Rob Simms.

The Ocean Film Festival World Tour presents an extraordinary collection of short films that capture the raw beauty, untamed power, and majesty of our oceans. These carefully curated films showcase stunning cinematography from surface to depths, transporting audiences into underwater realms and atop towering waves.

The Raine Island Recovery Project - completed in December 2025 - documented almost 20,000 turtles gathering in the ocean and almost 4,000 turtles coming onto the island at night to lay eggs. Raine Island is the world’s largest green turtle rookery and is the source of almost 90 per cent of the northern Great Barrier Reef green turtle population.