A seaweed blob spanning 5,000 miles, nearly twice the width of the United States, is heading toward the Florida Gulf coast, with officials warning that the thick mat of algae poses environmental and health concerns as it approaches the shore. Known as sargassum, the brown seaweed floats in open oceans, and is considered mostly harmless—while…

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—A “red tide” algae bloom off the coast of Newport Beach is not particularly toxic to humans but can cause hypothermia and death in birds, according to a marine biologist studying the case. The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach alerted the public to the Newport Beach area’s red tide April…

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Dec. 8 announced more than $100 million in grants for municipalities to improve water quality and infrastructure. The grants total $109 million for 101 drinking—and wastewater—infrastructure projects across the state, covering all 88 of the Buckeye State’s counties. They are part of the H2Ohio initiative that DeWine announced in October,…