Since it was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March, the bloom has impacted marine, estuarine, and coastal waterways, killing hundreds of marine species, discolouring water and disrupting ecosystems.
Volunteers from Disaster Relief Australia began arriving in Adelaide on Monday for a four-week deployment, after a request for help from the SA government.
DRA head of operations Anthony Birch said it was an unusual operation for the veteran-led volunteer organisation.
"Normally, we're responding to fires, floods or cyclones and natural events, but we recognise that this is very much a different type of disaster for South Australia, and we're very pleased to be able to provide support," he said.
"The volunteers really look forward to having an opportunity to give back and make a practical difference to the lives of people who are being impacted by this disaster. We try to be there for people during the hard times and that's where our volunteers really get their value."
Four teams of 30 volunteers will rotate weekly during the operation, removing marine and beach debris from the shoreline between North Haven and Seacliff in Adelaide.
Veterans who have served in theatres ranging from Vietnam to Afghanistan are travelling from Western Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and Queensland to join local volunteers.
On Adelaide beaches, council workers have been collecting up to 200kg a day of marine life killed by the bloom, which has affected an area of up to 4500sq km.
On Tuesday, Adelaide will host the first hearing of a Senate inquiry into the bloom, taking evidence from scientists, environmentalists, state and local government representatives, tourism and fishing industry figures and recreational bodies.
The iNaturalist website has collated data showing that about 34,000 dead animals from about 480 species have been found since the bloom started.
They include dolphins, sharks, sea lions, cuttlefish, starfish, sea dragons, and hundreds of species of fish and invertebrates like crabs and sea cucumbers.
The bloom, which experts fear could continue into summer and beyond, was primarily caused by climate change-induced marine heatwaves combined with nutrient-rich floodwaters from the River Murray and a rare cold-water upwelling.
While the first reports linked to the bloom were on the Fleurieu Peninsula, marine ecologists believe it may have started off Robe, in the state's southeast, where fish kills have also been recorded.
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