Can brevetoxins from algal blooms make me sick? A toxicologist explains

For about a year, an algal bloom in South Australian waters has had devastating effects on marine life. At my local beach, walks were a sad parade of dead sea life.

But what of the health effects of these algal blooms on humans? And what do a class of compounds called brevetoxins have to do with it?

I’m a toxicologist. Here’s what the evidence says.

What are algal blooms?

Algal…

© La Conversation - mardi 17 mars 2026