Malta Biodiversity Monitoring Initiative (MABIMO)

Hidden in the heart of the Mediterranean is a small archipelago known as the Maltese Islands. This English speaking, Turkish influenced, Roman Catholic rooted country is something to sit up and take note of. With an incredible 7000 years of history, vast pockets of deep blue and crystal clear bays, endless sunshine and spectacular limestone cliff formations, Malta is considered the ‘Gem of the Mediterranean’. At only 316km² the Maltese Islands are a speck in the Mediterranean. However, the islands are part of a land bridge between Sicily and North Africa, and has therefore allowed Malta to contain unique and diverse biodiversity and ecological systems. Over 4500 species of plants and animals have been recorded, 85 of which are endemic, and that’s even before taking marine organisms into account.

Identifying the natural capital and monitoring its condition in a fast changing world is crucial to guarantee its presence in the future. Biodiversity Inventory for Conservation (BINCO) and Friends of the Earth Malta set first steps towards developing a multitaxon nation wide biodiversity monitoring initiative in Malta.