Maltese scientists on the hunt for honeybees most resilient to climate change

Maltese scientists will identify which honeybees are most resilient to climate change, from Turkey and Lebanon to Morocco and Spain, in a €1.74 million study led by the Beekeeping and Agro-environmental Research Center (CIAPA) of Spain.

The diversity of honeybees will be monitored, and the colony resistance of bee colonies will be assessed, to generate new genetic markers for the identification of the most resilient honeybee species.

The participation of the University of Malta is led by Dr Marion Zammit Mangion (Department of Physiology and Biochemistry) with the contributions of Dr Belinda Gambin (Institute of Earth Systems) and Dr Sandro Lanfranco (Department of Biology).

Thomas Galea, on behalf of Breeds of Origin, and all local beekeepers will also be contributing to the project and will be responsible for setting up the testing apiaries and conducting field studies on the native Maltese honeybee as well as non-native honeybees.

“Honeybees are critical to sustainable agricultural systems. In the context of increased desertification of the Mediterranean region, including the Maltese islands, a new project is aiming to contribute to this sustainability,” the University of Malta said.

Maltese researchers will identify the major threats and challenges in the region and adopt a strategy for the MEDIBEES consortium, the group that is carrying out the study.

The Maltese team will also carry out the mitochondrial tests of the genetic studies on all the honeybee subspecies investigated in the project.