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Coral reefs continue to face serious threats all over the world, and are dying at alarming rates because of things like coral bleaching, various diseases, and environmental stressors like warming water temperatures and increased acidification. In response, there are many efforts around the world to find ways to restore corals, and we’re going to learn about two ongoing research programs doing just that.

Legendary hall of fame outfielder Roberto Clemente joined the Major Leagues in 1955. That was eight years after Jackie Robinson became the first Black player in the history of the league, and nine years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law. For the first thirteen years of his career the Pirates spring trained at Terry Park in Fort Myers — this was during the time of Jim Crow. He died on December 31, 1972, in a plane crash while departing Puerto Rico to deliver help to earthquake devastated Nicaragua. We discuss his life and legacy, which continues to this day.

Concerns that a summer slide could become a Covid freefall has parents and educators worried for how students spend the next couple of months. According to a study of more than five million students by the Collaborative for Student Growth, that same summer slide already occurred during this past school year thanks to school closures due to outbreaks of Covid, distance learning and less time in a traditional learning environment.

Dr. Michael Burton is the new director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. He leads a team of researchers who work to provide farmers with the best information possible for them to be successful from their 320-acre facility in Immokalee.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 233 into law on June 22. Under the new law, the Florida Board of Education will require Florida’s public colleges to survey students, faculty, and staff every year to assess “the intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” at each institution. We spoke with Florida Gulf Coast University President, Dr. Mike Martin, to get his take.

Since the Herbert Hoover Dike was built around Lake Okeechobee more than 50 years ago water managers have worked to maintain safe water levels in the lake by sending water from the lake to the east and west coasts, and south toward the Everglades.Currently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts and regulates the releases using what’s called the Lake Okeechobee Operations Regulation Schedule, or LORS, which was put into place in 2008. Now, the Corps is planning on implementing a new set of regulations, called the Lake Okeechobee Systems Operating Manual, or LOSOM, and they announced their preferred option among a number that have been under consideration on Monday, July 19.We explore the ongoing decision-making process, and the CC alternative, with John Cassani, he is the Calusa Waterkeeper; and James Evans, Environmental Policy Director at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.

Schools across Florida closed down back in mid March as the new coronavirus began spreading. The School District of Lee County has been working on its reopening plans for the fall semester for months, but as the outbreak continued to spread there was no major focus being placed on bringing back students for full time, five days a week schooling. But, that recently changed recently after Florida Department of Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran issued an emergency order requiring all brick and mortar schools to open for at least five days a week.

The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers has been providing food for people in need across southwest Florida since 1983. Over the decades, it has faced trying times like during the great recession in 2008 and 2009; and during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. And now they’re facing another wave of challenges due to rising inflation and high fuel costs. We sit down with president & CEO, Richard LeBer, to get an update on how they’re handling these trying economic times and learn what people can do to help them in their mission.

The latest reading scores for students in Florida show that 47% of Florida’s 3rd graders are not reading on grade level. And data shows that if a student is struggling in third grade they are very likely to struggle in middle school and beyond. Eighty-percent of high school dropouts were struggling readers in 3rd grade.In the new book "America's Embarrassing Reading Crisis: What We Learned From COVID" Dr. Lisa Richardson Hassler explores reading proficiencies among third-graders, both pre and post-pandemic, and compares established virtual learning methods like those used by Florida’s Virtual School with traditional brick-and-mortar schools.

Robert N. Macomber is an award-winning author of maritime novels, best known for his Honor Series, including the 16th title “Code of Honor” which was released in April of 2022. We’ve had him on the show over the years to talk about his novels and his life’s adventures, and he was a guest on our show Three Song Stories back in 2018. But, today he joins us to talk about what he and his wife have experienced since Hurricane Ian made landfall, completely destroying their Pine Island home.