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The unfortunate situation began to unfold most visibly last summer, when an alarming bloom of blue-green algae, specifically microcystis, overwhelmed the waters around Lake Okeechobee, prompting then-Governor Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency. “Our kids can’t go swimming?” lamented one resident, encapsulating the frustration many locals feel as their access to the region’s natural beauty becomes compromised. Beaches, once a burst of joy and relaxation, have become sources of toxicity, warning signs proliferating along the so-called “Treasure Coast.”