Algal bloom spotted close to WA fish kill

Long strands of algal bloom, stretching for several kilometres off the Kimberley coast, have been spotted by aerial surveyors searching for clues to why almost 20,000 fish have died in Western Australian waters.

Birds, sea-snakes and turtles as well as birds as well as fish were found dead, with hundreds washing up on beaches, which is understood to have been brought about by a culmination of environmental factors including warm water and weather, coupled with sustained onshore winds.

More than a dozen strands of algal bloom, three to four nautical miles long, are sitting off the coast of Broome between Barred Creek and Manari according to the Department of Fisheries.

A Fisheries statement said it was not yet known if the algal bloom was related to the recent incident, but the department had collected fresh fish samples for testing and would continue to investigate the deaths.