STUART, Fla.-- Tara Scwartz and her husband, Jordan, own Ohana Surf Shop in Stuart.
The store has been open for a decade, and Tara says this is the worst year for it so far.
"All on the water. It is 98% of our business for sure," Tara said.
But her business has been limited lately due to beach closures in the Treasure Coast.
Last week, toxic algae blooms were spotted on beaches across Martin County.
Because of the algae, Tara had to cancel a weeklong surf camp.
"I just don't know what's going to happen. If we're even going to be able to have camp again this summer," she said.
Tara added that the business brings in $8,000 each week surf camp is held.
"It's how we catch up with our vendors, it's how we stay ahead of the game. Now, we're just going to keep falling behind."
Tara and her husband are constantly reaching out to state lawmakers, including Governor Rick Scott, but have not heard any solutions from them.
"It's going to take more fish dying, manatees dying, people getting hospitalized before our politicians start doing something about it," Tara said.
Mark Perry, executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society, encourages people to contact state lawmakers in Tallahassee.
"Governor Rick Scott with the state of Florida needs to come down and declare a state of emergency. This is totally unacceptable. It's dangerous to human health. It's an issue that needs to be addressed," Mark said.
He said he's reached out to state lawmakers, but hasn't received many replies.
"We would typically hear back and they say 'We're doing everything we can,'but they're not. They're not addressing the problem," Mark said.
He said Governor Scott did address the problem in 2013, but added that it appeared to be a publicity stunt.
"He gave lip service to it basically because he was trying to get re-elected in 2014. In 2014, he came down and gave a big show of all the great stuff he's going to do, got re-elected, and nothing's really happening," Mark said.
On Monday, the governor's staff returned an email request from NewsChannel 5 in response to the water crisis.
The email said: "Our number one priority is ensuring the safety of our families, visitors and Florida's natural treasures. DEP has been working with their local partners to closely monitor the algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers. DOH is also working with DEP to monitor the blooms and keep the public informed of any possible health risks."
Martin County commissioners plan to hold an emergency meeting Tuesday over algae concerns.
