Fort Pierce - Friday July 14, 2023: This week on In Focus, with IRSC Public Media, Florida's shrinking citrus crop. Stormy weather and disease have reduced this past season's orange crop to just 15.9 million boxes, the lowest level since 1936.
But there is some reason for hope, says Doug Bournique, the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Indian River Citrus League. Progress has been made on therapies to combat the disease, and on developing sturdier root stocks. In addition planting of new citrus trees has increased, and some Indian River packing houses are planning expansions in anticipation of larger crops in the future.
Learn more about the Indian River Citrus League on their website at: http://ircitrusleague.org/.
Then we'll talk about the hot water surrounding the southern Florida peninsula. NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, released a report this past week showing sea surface temperatures around the Florida Keys ranging above 90-degree Fahrenheit.
Dr. Andy Bruckner, the Research Coordinator for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, will tell us about the threat those high temperatures pose to Florida's already struggling coral reefs, and to other sea life as well.
Learn more about the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary on their website at: https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/.