Harmful algal blooms

Example of blue-green algae

At times, about three hundred species of microalgae occur in masses—referred to as 'algal blooms'—with nearly one quarter of these species producing toxins.

Harmful algal blooms (also referred to as 'phytoplankton blooms', 'microalgal blooms', 'toxic algae' or 'red tides' ) are common seasonal events occurring throughout Queensland in both fresh and coastal marine waters. Blooms caused by organisms including cyanobacteria, diatoms and dinoflagellates may pose a direct threat to human and animal health, and can have:

economic impacts (e.g. significant increase in the cost of treating the water supply; need to use alternate supplies)
social impacts (e.g. disruption of recreational use of the waterway)
environmental effects on aquatic ecosystems.

To reduce the risk to humans, livestock and wildlife, state agencies, local government and water storage operators provide a coordinated response to harmful algal blooms under the Queensland Harmful Algal Bloom Response Plan (PDF)* . The Queensland Harmful Algal Bloom Operational Procedures (PDF)* support the response plan.

Fact sheets

Blue-green algae (PDF, 127K)*
Managing blue-green algae blooms in farm dams (PDF, 148K)*

Please direct enquires to the relevant agencies as outlined below.

Agency contacts

Enquiry	Response agency	Contact details
Marine/estuarine	Department of Environment and Resource Management	Pollution Hotline: 1300 130 372 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
Freshwater reservoir or regulated waters	Water storage operator	Responsible water storage operator
Unsupplemented systems (i.e. natural waters, rivers, streams, wetlands etc.)	Department of Environment and Resource Management	During business hours District supervising hydrographers Ayr 07 4783 0464 Rockhampton 07 4938 4905 Bundaberg 07 4131 5861 Brisbane 07 3224 2925 Toowoomba 07 4688 1016 Natural Resource Sciences 07 3896 9163
Ornamental and/or recreational lake	Local government	Contact local council office
Farm dams stock health	Department of Primary Industries	DPI Call Centre phone: 13 25 23 (8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday)
Human health	Queensland Health	During business hours Director of Environmental Health Services Public Health Units Toowoomba 07 4631 9888 Cairns 07 4050 3601 Bundaberg 07 4150 2780 Townsville 07 4750 4020 West Moreton 07 3810 1500 Brisbane Northside 07 3250 8509 Brisbane Southside 07 3000 9145 South Coast 07 5509 7212 Sunshine Coast 07 5479 4655 Rockhampton 07 4920 6989 Hervey Bay 07 4197 7277 After Hours 0412 422 181 or Pager: 1300 555555 928590413 880 212