Florida declares algae emergency

Ordinarily, businesses in South Florida would be preparing for a swarm of tourists this holiday weekend. This year, they're worried the only living thing on their beaches come the Fourth of July might be some putrid blue-green algae.

The algae, which the Washington Post compared to "thick, furry mold," "chunky guacamole," or a "festering, infected sore," has been coating waterways in four counties since late May, when algae in Lake Okeechobee tested positive for high levels of a toxin that targets the liver, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency over the blue-green sludge in Martin and St. Lucie Counties on Wednesday.

The blue-green algae is caused by bacteria that...