I have always been a firm believer that no matter how much you are able to describe a person, place, or thing, a true understanding will never be formed until whoever is asking is able to experience it in person. This holds especially true when trying to describe your favorite place, whether it be your hometown, a place where you had randomly passed through years before, or where you feel the most comfortable.

Growing up as a child who was born and raised in one of the top vacation spots in the country, I was frequently bombarded with questions, both open-ended and short answered, about why my family had moved away from such an amazing location. After a few short years, I quickly learned that a few adjectives and a wave of the hand to go visit would suffice as answers. Yet, there was one thing that was never questioned: my love for the Sunshine State and the beauty of the land it resides on.

As such, you can imagine my horror when I first took in sight of the thick, blue-green algae that now inhabits some of the waterways I used to pass daily. Just as quickly, the sheer anger I felt when it had been described in a similar manner to “guacamole” was another shocking discovery.

In some ways, algae can be a beneficial addition to our surroundings for it can be used as shelter, food for young, and oxygen to any living organisms nearby. However, what we see today falls significantly short from being a positive change.

In recent developments on the case of the outbreak, tests have shown that the microorganism contains toxic elements that are dangerous if inhaled or touched, leaving many of the state residents outraged and scared.

However, they are not the only ones who should be.

Through having such toxins running through the water that millions of people visit each year, there are bound to be potential dangers, like irritation of the skin or severe nausea. In the case of wildlife, the reach of the algae has grown to places that were never before touched, like popular beaches on the east coast of the state. For some animal residents, like the “gentle giant” of the water (better known as manatees), getting a spray-down from a hose has now become a frequent sight. Under the lull of the waves, fish and other marine life are fighting to survive with the extra foliage above them.

Although I would like for this to be ruled as an accident for the state that I love, the cause of this conflict has been determined as an improper regulation of polluted substances. Accidents happen when people have no idea what they are doing (most of the time), but for those who created the system? It comes down to carelessness and through not taking action, we put ourselves and our environment in more danger.