Johanna Williams

Musical Pigrimage

For months, as an algal bloom wreaked havoc on the South Australian coast, most residents steered clear but not Johanna Williams. She’s been down to Glenelg Beach daily, ruler and phone in hand, methodically tracking the carnage. What started as a small, concerned step by a self-described occupational therapist soon transformed into a citizen science project with over 10,000 observations of dead and dying marine life, offering a grim, close-up view of the ecological disaster. Johanna’s commitment, though personally confronting, gives scientists and the community essential data and a crucial human perspective.

This episode does not feature the SA Drink of the Week segment.

The show concludes with a Musical Pilgrimage that connects directly to the episode’s urgent environmental theme. We hear Steve Davis & The Virtualosos’ “While the Ocean Died,” a lyrical and sonic reflection on the collective pain and political complexities surrounding the algal bloom event.

You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We’re here to serve!

The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast in Australia at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for Best News and Current Affairs Podcast in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.

And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It’s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we’ll add you to the list: podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au

If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store – The Adelaide Show Shop. We’d greatly appreciate it.

And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here’s our index of all episode in one concise
page.

Running Sheet: Algal Bloom Beach Witness Johanna Williams

00:00:00 Intro

Introduction

00:00:00 SA Drink Of The Week

No SA Drink Of The Week this week.

00:02:55 Johanna Williams

Arriving home from a holiday to find Glenelg Beach “covered in dead fish” , Johanna Williams had a choice: unpack and write an angry Facebook post, or take action. She chose the latter, inadvertently becoming one of the state’s most dedicated, non-professional "marine biologists". Initially hoping the algal bloom would be a “transient, short-term event,” the surreal extent of the death spurred her to use the citizen science platform iNaturalist to upload her observations, believing this crucial “coalface” data would reach qualified scientists and government bodies to “formulate responses”.

Her daily 500-metre trek between Pier Street and the Jetty has revealed a tragic yet fascinating marine diversity. What she’s documenting—now over 10,000 observations—includes rare deep-sea fish like the long snout boar fish and warty prowl fish, species scientists rarely encounter alive. This wealth of data is heartbreakingly significant, as it allows researchers to collect, age, and perform genetic and toxicological testing on specimens that could never be found otherwise, highlighting the deep reach of the bloom into the ecosystem.

The work is intensely confronting, involving more than just dead fish. Johanna describes a traumatic encounter with a still-alive, spiky globe fish whose eyes were “really gazing and tracking” her. This and finding a paralysed silver gull due to toxic effects highlight the profound emotional toll and moral dilemmas faced by citizen scientists, such as whether to “prolong its death by putting it back in the water”. Johanna discusses how a supportive network of friends and a new community, including people from the university, has helped her “channel that energy” and despair into empowerment and meaningful data collection.

This environmental disaster also casts a shadow over the Glenelg foreshore, with Johanna noting a ripple effect of reduced foot traffic and the closure of local businesses, a “double whammy” alongside local tram disruptions. For listeners wanting to help, Johanna suggests starting with iNaturalist uploads, or connecting with projects like the SA Marine Mortality Project 2025 to assist with collecting fish for testing or contributing to local rehabilitation efforts, such as making oyster beds (wind chimes) to help filter the water.
Great Southern Reef
Website
Mission: “Our mission is to inspire and empower society to protect and sustain Australia’s Great Southern Reef by promoting recognition, stewardship, and sustainable actions through impactful education, community engagement, and collaborative science.”
Janine Baker
OzFish Unlimited
Website
Description: OzFish Unlimited is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping the millions of Aussie recreational fishers take control of the health of their rivers, lakes and estuaries and shore up the future of the sport they love. OzFish Unlimited partners with fishers and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of our waterways, counteracting decades of degradation.
Brad Martin
Data gathering for South Australian 2025 marine mortality events
Project Link
Description: This project is set to automatically add aquatic vertebrates and macroinvertebrates annotated ‘dead’ from Feb 2025 onwards. Janine Baker is a key contact for this projects and has links with universities and researchers.
SA Surf and Bloom
SA hub for information on our bloom. Share surfing/algae/ocean/coastal pictures and videos. Ask questions. I aim to share the love we have for our oceans, and keep surfers informed of the symptomatic surf spots.
Facebook Group
ADELAIDE ALGAE BLOOM DISASTER
Facebook Group
Description: A place to upload pictures of this marine disaster that’s going to impact the Adelaide fishing scene for many years to come.
Phytoplankton Society of South Australia
Facebook Group
Description: This group is for sharing knowledge on the Phytoplankton of South Australia, particularly in regard to the 2025 algal bloom we are experiencing. We welcome photos of microscopic phytoplankton (and accompanying pics of where they were taken) and especially experts who can identify them. This is a citizen science project for the benefit of everyone. We are also on iNaturalist. Big Thanks to Faith and Peri Coleman, Gabby at www.asisscientific.com.au, the Big Duck Boat, Victor Harbor Dolphin Watch and others who have made this possible.
Sarah Hanson-Young, Manager of Greens Business in the Senate & Senator for South Australia
Annual Report 2025
Further articles:
“Harmful Algal Bloom Aerosols and Human Health“
“Thousands of seadragons dead in South Australia’s worst recorded harmful algal bloom — IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish & Seadragon“
An underwater guide to plants and animals in South Australia
PDF Guide
PIRSA Factsheet – What to do if you have seen sick or dead birds
PDF Factsheet
Birdlife Australia: Helping injured birds
Article
Fishwatch SA
If you find an injured fish on the beach, stay a safe distance away and do not touch it. Report the animal by calling the local fish authority, such as FISHWATCH in South Australia (1800 065 522), or a wildlife rescue hotline, as professionals are trained to handle these situations.

00:37:06 Musical Pilgrimage

In the Musical Pilgrimage, we play a deeply personal and thematically appropriate piece by Steve Davis and the Virtualosos, titled “While the Ocean Died”.

The song, which Johanna describes as an “earworm” that helps her “process what’s going on”, was inspired by Johanna’s ground-level work, leading Steve to appreciate the “cost of this whole thing”. The host reveals that songwriting is his way of thinking out loud to process complex issues. The track’s bridge reflects on the political challenge leaders face in times of crisis, where a long chain of “short-cuts and shortcomings” has left the region vulnerable to a multitude of causes—from the River Murray flood of nutrients to the sea heatwave—that have fuelled the toxic bloom. It’s a poignant, urgent piece that closes the show by connecting the human story of witnessing with the broader South Australian environmental tragedy.

For months, as an algal bloom wreaked havoc on the South Australian coast, most residents steered clear but not Johanna Williams. She&rsquo;s been down to Glenelg Beach daily, ruler and phone in hand, methodically tracking the carnage. What started as a small, concerned step by a self-described occupational therapist soon transformed into a citizen science project with over 10,000 observations of dead and dying marine life, offering a grim, close-up view of the ecological disaster. Johanna&rsquo;s commitment, though personally confronting, gives scientists and the community essential data and a crucial human perspective.
This episode does not feature the SA Drink of the Week segment.
The show concludes with a Musical Pilgrimage that connects directly to the episode&rsquo;s urgent environmental theme. We hear Steve Davis &amp; The Virtualosos&rsquo; &ldquo;While the Ocean Died,&rdquo; a lyrical and sonic reflection on the collective pain and political complexities surrounding the algal bloom event.
You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We&rsquo;re here to serve!
The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for&nbsp;Best Interview Podcast in Australia&nbsp;at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for&nbsp;Best News and Current Affairs Podcast&nbsp;in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.
And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It&rsquo;s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we&rsquo;ll add you to the list:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au">podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au</a>
If you enjoy the show, please&nbsp;<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/another-boring-thursday-night/id696302138">leave us a 5-star review&nbsp;</a>in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/theadelaideshow/shop?asc=u">The Adelaide Show Shop</a>. We&rsquo;d greatly appreciate it.
And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href="https://theadelaideshow.com.au/complete-list-adelaide-show-episodes/">our index of all episode in one concise page.</a>
Running Sheet: Algal Bloom Beach Witness Johanna Williams
00:00:00&nbsp;Intro
Introduction
00:00:00&nbsp;SA Drink Of The Week
No SA Drink Of The Week this week.
00:02:55&nbsp;Johanna Williams
Arriving home from a holiday to find Glenelg Beach &ldquo;covered in dead fish&rdquo; , Johanna Williams had a choice: unpack and write an angry Facebook post, or take action. She chose the latter, inadvertently becoming one of the state&rsquo;s most dedicated, non-professional "marine biologists". Initially hoping the algal bloom would be a &ldquo;transient, short-term event,&rdquo; the surreal extent of the death spurred her to use the citizen science platform iNaturalist to upload her observations, believing this crucial &ldquo;coalface&rdquo; data would reach qualified scientists and government bodies to &ldquo;formulate responses&rdquo;.
Her daily 500-metre trek between Pier Street and the Jetty has revealed a tragic yet fascinating marine diversity. What she&rsquo;s documenting&mdash;now over 10,000 observations&mdash;includes rare deep-sea fish like the long snout boar fish and warty prowl fish, species scientists rarely encounter alive. This wealth of data is heartbreakingly significant, as it allows researchers to collect, age, and perform genetic and toxicological testing on specimens that could never be found otherwise, highlighting the deep reach of the bloom into the ecosystem.
The work is intensely confronting, involving more than just dead fish. Johanna describes a traumatic encounter with a still-alive, spiky globe fish whose eyes were &ldquo;really gazing and tracking&rdquo; her. This and finding a paralysed silver gull due to toxic effects highlight the profound emotional toll and moral dilemmas faced by citizen scientists, such as whether to &ldquo;prolong its death by putting it back in the water&rdquo;. Johanna discusses how a supportive network of friends and a new community, including people from the university, has helped her &ldquo;channel that energy&rdquo; and despair into empowerment and meaningful data collection.
This environmental disaster also casts a shadow over the Glenelg foreshore, with Johanna noting a ripple effect of reduced foot traffic and the closure of local businesses, a &ldquo;double whammy&rdquo; alongside local tram disruptions. For listeners wanting to help, Johanna suggests starting with iNaturalist uploads, or connecting with projects like the SA Marine Mortality Project 2025 to assist with collecting fish for testing or contributing to local rehabilitation efforts, such as making oyster beds (wind chimes) to help filter the water.
<ul>
<li>Great Southern Reef
<ul>
<li><a href="https://greatsouthernreef.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://greatsouthernreef.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QwZvPh2jYAuLd2AoXTmom">Website</a></li>
<li>Mission: &ldquo;Our mission is to inspire and empower society to protect and sustain Australia&rsquo;s Great Southern Reef by promoting recognition, stewardship, and sustainable actions through impactful education, community engagement, and collaborative science.&rdquo;</li>
<li><a href="https://greatsouthernreef.com/janine-baker" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://greatsouthernreef.com/janine-baker&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ZqpaBBF2tzNjqv7uPH8eE">Janine Baker</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>OzFish Unlimited
<ul>
<li><a href="https://ozfish.org.au/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ozfish.org.au/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2Wy0oddOiHc7e_KoMGRMjX">Website</a></li>
<li>Description: OzFish Unlimited is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping the millions of Aussie recreational fishers take control of the health of their rivers, lakes and estuaries and shore up the future of the sport they love. OzFish Unlimited partners with fishers and the broader community to invest time and money into the protection and restoration of our waterways, counteracting decades of degradation.</li>
<li><a href="https://ozfish.org.au/team-member/brad-martin-project-manager-south-australia/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://ozfish.org.au/team-member/brad-martin-project-manager-south-australia/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1iVxr8CgxzzA9abF-nwgGN">Brad Martin</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Data gathering for South Australian 2025 marine mortality events
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/sa-marine-mortality-events-2025" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/sa-marine-mortality-events-2025&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0rX_9Jmra48kp1cpHZSkUG">Project Link</a></li>
<li>Description: This project is set to automatically add aquatic vertebrates and macroinvertebrates annotated &lsquo;dead&rsquo; from Feb 2025 onwards. Janine Baker is a key contact for this projects and has links with universities and researchers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>SA Surf and Bloom
<ul>
<li>SA hub for information on our bloom. Share surfing/algae/ocean/coastal pictures and videos. Ask questions. I aim to share the love we have for our oceans, and keep surfers informed of the symptomatic surf spots.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1885987812164667" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/groups/1885987812164667&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3UPFceC2lJiT07qW3eu_DR">Facebook Group</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>ADELAIDE ALGAE BLOOM DISASTER
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Ak1znPrH3/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Ak1znPrH3/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1t33HGuMJSsADQBEW5adib">Facebook Group</a></li>
<li>Description: A place to upload pictures of this marine disaster that&rsquo;s going to impact the Adelaide fishing scene for many years to come.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Phytoplankton Society of South Australia
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1969xy6poQ/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1969xy6poQ/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3_Vj4Ln6a5s8yQIEo8Frsn">Facebook Group</a></li>
<li>Description: This group is for sharing knowledge on the Phytoplankton of South Australia, particularly in regard to the 2025 algal bloom we are experiencing. We welcome photos of microscopic phytoplankton (and accompanying pics of where they were taken) and especially experts who can identify them. This is a citizen science project for the benefit of everyone. We are also on iNaturalist. Big Thanks to Faith and Peri Coleman, Gabby at<a href="https://www.asisscientific.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.asisscientific.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw01BCk_K43h01B_NepCaiFE">&nbsp;www.asisscientific.com</a>.au, the Big Duck Boat, Victor Harbor Dolphin Watch and others who have made this possible.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Sarah Hanson-Young, Manager of Greens Business in the Senate &amp; Senator for South Australia
<ul>
<li><a href="https://greens.org.au/news/annual-report/2025/sarah-hanson-young" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://greens.org.au/news/annual-report/2025/sarah-hanson-young&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ampLARE641QNr49rcgPxx">Annual Report 2025</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Further articles:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(23)00169-X/fulltext">Harmful Algal Bloom Aerosols and Human Health</a>&ldquo;</li>
<li>&ldquo;<a href="https://www.iucn-seahorse.org/news/2025/9/26/thousands-of-seadragons-dead-in-south-australias-worst-recorded-harmful-algal-bloom">Thousands of seadragons dead in South Australia&rsquo;s worst recorded harmful algal bloom &mdash; IUCN Seahorse, Pipefish &amp; Seadragon</a>&ldquo;</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>An underwater guide to plants and animals in South Australia
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/marineparks/docs/underwater-guide-plants-animals.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/marineparks/docs/underwater-guide-plants-animals.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2ULJxWtPyuCn9eg5FNVsxY">PDF Guide</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>PIRSA Factsheet &ndash; What to do if you have seen sick or dead birds
<ul>
<li><a href="https://pir.sa.gov.au/_data/assets/pdf_file/0005/485033/PIRSA_fact_sheet_avian_influenza_bird_flu-_for_general_public.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pir.sa.gov.au/_data/assets/pdf_file/0005/485033/PIRSA_fact_sheet_avian_influenza_bird_flu-_for_general_public.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3lFgYe6rpwy07QRJB-qF6c">PDF Factsheet</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Birdlife Australia: Helping injured birds
<ul>
<li><a href="https://birdlife.org.au/discover-birds/birds-in-your-backyard/helping-injured-birds/?srsltid=AfmBOoqOG0xiDUbXKw9Ci2CsSiAkeUqva_rXmnUaGFCie9VuPcJeHMR" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://birdlife.org.au/discover-birds/birds-in-your-backyard/helping-injured-birds/?srsltid%3DAfmBOoqOG0xiDUbXKw9Ci2CsSiAkeUqva_rXmnUaGFCie9VuPcJeHMR&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1761465255280000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XpygoyBaKCTmAoP7U3-gB">Article</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Fishwatch SA
<ul>
<li>If you find an injured fish on the beach, stay a safe distance away and do not touch it. Report the animal by calling the local fish authority, such as FISHWATCH in South Australia (1800 065 522), or a wildlife rescue hotline, as professionals are trained to handle these situations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
00:37:06&nbsp;Musical Pilgrimage
In the Musical Pilgrimage, we play a deeply personal and thematically appropriate piece by Steve Davis and the Virtualosos, titled &ldquo;While the Ocean Died&rdquo;.
The song, which Johanna describes as an &ldquo;earworm&rdquo; that helps her &ldquo;process what&rsquo;s going on&rdquo;, was inspired by Johanna&rsquo;s ground-level work, leading Steve to appreciate the &ldquo;cost of this whole thing&rdquo;. The host reveals that songwriting is his way of thinking out loud to process complex issues. The track&rsquo;s bridge reflects on the political challenge leaders face in times of crisis, where a long chain of &ldquo;short-cuts and shortcomings&rdquo; has left the region vulnerable to a multitude of causes&mdash;from the River Murray flood of nutrients to the sea heatwave&mdash;that have fuelled the toxic bloom. It&rsquo;s a poignant, urgent piece that closes the show by connecting the human story of witnessing with the broader South Australian environmental tragedy.

A weekly podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us each week as a co-presenter to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, food, art, music, relationships, critical thinking, health, news, interviews, chat and quizzes. 

Every single interview, every single show, unlocks insights into what drives people to be doing what they're doing and what keeps them striving. 

The Adelaide Show is produced by Steve Davis and Nigel Dobson-Keeffe.

Please subscribe to our In Crowd list; you get an email each Friday (when we have published a new episode) with an overview of that week's show. Plus, consider joining our Inner Circle; a small group of passionate South Aussies who allow us to pick their brains and gain interviewee suggestions.

This podcast began life as Another Boring Thursday Night In Adelaide from episodes 1-79.

A podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us each week as a co-presenter to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, ...

The Adelaide Show

A podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, food, art, music, relationships, critical thinking, health, and general news. Every single interview, every single show, unlocks insights into what drives people to be doing what they're doing and what keeps them striving. The Adelaide Show is produced by Steve Davis, and ends with an original song by a South Australian artist. Please subscribe to our In Crowd list; you get an email each Friday with an overview of that week's show. This podcast began life as Another Boring Thursday Night In Adelaide from episodes 1-79.

A podcast recorded in Adelaide that puts South Australian passion on centre stage with a featured guest who joins us to share how they're pursuing their passions. We venture across topics as diverse as history, wine, food, art, music, relationships, critical thinking, health, and general news. Every single interview, every single show, unlocks insights into what drives people to be doing what they're doing and what keeps them striving. The Adelaide Show is produced by Steve Davis, and ends with an original song by a South Australian artist. Please subscribe to our In Crowd list; you get an email each Friday with an overview of that week's show. This podcast began life as Another Boring Thursday Night In Adelaide from episodes 1-79.

Occupational therapist turned "marine biologist" Johanna Williams describes the emotional toll of daily documenting the South Australian algal bloom at Glenelg using iNaturalist, before The Adelaide Show wraps up with a local musical reflection on the marine tragedy.

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