Florida's Beaches Face Dual Threat of Red Tide and Giant Seaweed Bloom

Florida's Gulf Coast is facing a toxic algae bloom known as red tide, which is killing fish and causing a stench. The bloom can cause health problems for people, including coughing, irritated throat, and difficulty breathing. A massive seaweed blob twice as wide as the United States is also drifting across the Atlantic and could wash ashore in the coming weeks, creating an even bigger mess. The seaweed, known as sargassum, releases harmful gases as it degrades. Pollution may be aggravating the red tide problem, which occurs naturally but can be influenced by nutrient discharges.