A THICK and toxic algae has spread throughout the waterways of Florida and continues to bring certain industries and residents in the US state to their knees.

The putrid algal blooms, which have been described as “guacamole-like”, have plagued the state’s waterways since last month.

The toxic sludge can cause rashes and respiratory problems in humans, is killing wildlife and dramatically impacting on the area’s tourism industry.

US Senator Marco Rubio announced last week that small businesses impacted by the algae will be eligible for disaster loan assistance until November 17 of this year.

“I have seen first-hand how this algae crisis has affected far too many people and their livelihoods,” Rubio said in his statement.

The week before the state’s governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in the counties of St. Lucie, Palm Beach and Martin in east Florida, and Lee on the state’s west coast, all counties with waterways that take excess drainwater from the central Lake Okeechobee.

Much of the problem in area rivers stems from the fact that the lake’s ageing dyke is too weak to manage high lake water levels. During the rainy summer season authorities must therefore pump water out of the lake into nearby rivers, ensuring that the algae will spread.

Scott has also urged President Barack Obama to declare a federal emergency over the spread of the algae blooms — blaming federal authorities for the condition of the dyke.

Such is the extent of the algae that NASA recently posted a picture online showing the algae from space, captured by one of the space agency’s satellites.

The blue green algae blooms — also known as cyanobacteria — often form in warmer water when nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, found in fertilisers, pollute the water.

But experts say climate change is also a major contributing factor as the warmer waters create the conditions for the noxious algae.

“These types of blooms are going to be more prevalent as the climate warms,” said Rob Moore, senior policy analyst for the country’s Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) water program.

“That’s yet another motivating factor for the US and for governments around the world to take rapid action to decrease emissions that are causing climate change,” he told The Daily Beast.

As the US Environmental Protection Agency points out, “climate change might favour harmful algae in a number of ways”.

While tourism-related businesses are suffering with a number of Florida’s beaches affected by the algae, the blooms have taken a toll on wildlife populations as well.

Authorities have warned people not to swim in the water and cautioned against allowing their pets in the polluted waterways.

In 2013, dense algae blooms killed more than 120 manatees in a Florida lagoon.