A state of emergency in the U.S. state of Florida. A toxic algae bloom is devastating sea life along the southwest coast. The emergency declaration means money to help sick animals, clean up Florida's beaches and support the tourist industry, also hit by this aggressive "red tide". CGTN's Nitza Soledad Perez has more.

Dead fish, stranded turtles, even a dead whale shark, all likely victims of the red tide. Algae blooms affect the Gulf Coast every year, but this one is particularly menacing and toxic to wildlife and humans.

VINCENT LOVKO, STAFF SCIENTIST MOTE MARINE LABORATORY & AQUARIUM "Red tide is the result of what happens when certain organism, phytoplankton, Karenia Brevis, grows in very large numbers or gets aggregated together by currents in large numbers. It produces a toxin and that toxin can kill fish and other marine organisms, that can also make humans sick and that is what we call the red tide, when we have that event."

The strong smell can make humans nauseous. The toxins can cause respiratory problems. The red tide has antagonized Florida now for ten months and there's no end in sight. Thousands of activists took to beaches across the state this week to join hands and draw attention to what they see as an environmental disaster. And the toxic tide is impacting the state's lucrative tourism industry, costing local businesses millions.

GARY HARRIS RESIDENT OF BRADENTON, FLORIDA "These guys are hurting, who wants to be around the smell."

NITZA SOLEDAD PEREZ ANNA MARIA ISLAND, FLORIDA "Code enforcement officials tell me that normally close to seven thousand people would be on these beaches, the red tide is scaring them away."

A place generally considered a coastal paradise now deserted.

PENNY NICHOLS, STORE MANAGER JUST 4 FUN "It's been pretty quiet because of the smell and the dead fish. I've had a few people come and rent bikes, but not the kayaks and the paddle boards."

ERIC CAIRNS, MANAGER CEDAR COVE RESORT AND COTTAGES "A lot of our guests are repeat business, so they understand what's going on with the algae bloom. What they're doing is they are taking their reservation, they are not cancelling, they are just postponing it and pushing it into the future."

Some Floridians blame the government and politicians for lack of adequate environmental regulations, especially related to sugarcane production.

SEAN MURPHY, OWNER BEACH BISTRO "It's pretty much common knowledge now that Big Sugar and the way it's polluted the coast, it's caused this algae blooms. If you take enough fertilizer and push it into the water, plants grow and red tide is a plant."

While evidence of red tides goes back hundreds of years, scientists say they don't know exactly why today's blooms are so excessive. The working theory is that Florida's temperatures, light levels, currents and chemistry, all combine to produce a "perfect storm" of conditions, for the algae to thrive. NSP, CGTN, Anna Maria Island, Florida.