(Bloomberg) -- Miami-Dade County has closed its northernmost beaches after tests came back positive for a toxic algae bloom, raising health concerns for bathers and posing a serious threat to South Florida’s massive tourist economy.
Such blooms, known as red tide, can kill off marine life and cause breathing difficulties in humans. Long before Miami-Dade’s announcement, the phenomenon had already been plaguing other Florida beach communities in recent months.
It has also become a point of debate in Florida’s critical elections for the U.S. House, Senate and governor, with candidates trading blows about whose environmental negligence is to blame. In a tweet Thursday, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the measure was a "proactive step."
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