Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday visited South Australia to discuss the algal bloom plaguing the state's south-east coast.

With SA Premier Peter Malinauskas next to him, Albanese said, "I want to say to South Australians that the federal government stands side-by-side with you."

He also announced a $6.25 million package to tackle the bloom. The funding includes $4 million for local government grants to assist local communities, $2 million to enhance CSIRO monitoring and data collection of marine heatwaves, and $250,000 for algal bloom-related research through the national environmental science program.

The prime minister and SA premier also revealed another state-federal $28 million support package. A tranche of that package would be used to carry out testing for brevetoxins in shellfish by Adelaide-based Agilex Biolabs.

While brevetoxins are not believed to be caused by Karenia mikimotoi, they can be caused by other Karenia species which are believed to be present in the algal bloom.

There'd previously been no local capacity for brevetoxin testing, and that samples had to go to New Zealand.

"Agilex is now embarking on a whole new capability that Australia does not have," he said. "Currently when we are testing within our shellfish, particularly oysters for the brevetoxin which is a product of at least some form of the algae, that testing has to take place in New Zealand."

Albo visits Agilex Biolabs (ABC//Che Chorley)

Considering the algal bloom was first detected six months ago, Albanese had to defend himself against accusations of not taking the incident seriously. He described suggestions that the federal government would have acted sooner if the bloom had been along the east coast as "absolute nonsense".

"I have been to South Australia six times this year," he said.

Albanese was also questioned about whether it should be declared a "natural disaster".

"Let's not get into semantics. This is a significant event, this is a very significant event, and it's something that requires a response,"he said.

While he described Australia as a country that had "always had natural disasters", he drew a distinction between the bloom and other events like floods and bushfires.

"There's a specific program that's for floods and for bushfires," he said.

"This is something that is a different form of environmental event that is having a significant impact."

Albanese vists Kangaroo Island (X:Anthony Albanese)

When it was his turn to speak, Premier Malinauskas said he and Albanese had discussed the state government's summer plan, in the event the bloom continues well into the warmer months.

"Hopefully, we don't have to utilise [that]," he said. "But if we do, I know that the federal government is all too willing to hear from us.

"We remain hopeful that the algal bloom dissipates," said Malinauskas, "but we're not naive to the fact that that may indeed not happen — in fact, I'm of the view that it's becoming increasingly likely that the bloom will be here in some form at least during spring."

Watch the documentary 'Sea Sick' made by Surfers For Climate about the algal bloom.