ENDANGERED SPECIES The Endangered Species Act celebrates 50 years this December. The Act is credited with saving the California condor, the bald eagle, the manatee and many more. In 2023, 21 endangered species were declared extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Included on the list is the Bachman’s warbler, a migratory bird that spent time in Florida before wintering in Cuba. It was last seen in 1988. Other species declared extinct include eight freshwater mussels, the Mariana fruit bat of Guam and eight Hawaiian honeycreeper birds. The Center for Biological Diversity estimates 650 species have gone extinct in the United States.
LIONFISH The annual Lionfish Challenge removed 30,494 of the invasive species from Florida state waters. The Lionfish King of 2023 is Baye Beauford, who removed 1,514 lionfish during the 4-month competition. Lionfish have a unique way of spawning. Females release two gelatinous egg masses of about 12,000 to 15,000 eggs each. These masses float and can drift for about 25 days. They can spawn every four days in warmer climates, like Florida.
CITRUS UPDATE We are always keeping an eye on the latest numbers for Florida’s citrus growers. As of October, Florida was expected to produce 20.5 million boxes of oranges this season, which is an increase of 4.7 million boxes from last season. An expected harvest of 1.9 million boxes of grapefruit this year would represent an increase of nearly 6 percent.PROTECTING FLORIDA’S SPRINGS Over $57 million was awarded to 23 statewide springs restoration projects identified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and four water management districts. More information about the Springs Restoration Grant Program may be found here.