The Interreg Va Italia-Malta project SimaSeed was launched on 8 May, at the Botanic Gardens of the University of Catania. SimaSeed's main aim is the protection of plant biodiversity in Malta and Sicily Natura 2000 sites, through the use of seed banks and plant population reinforcement.
SimaSeed is an environmental project that falls under the territorial cooperation agreement of the Italia-Malta 2014-2020 Interreg Programme, Priority Axis III - preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency. Objective 3.1 specifically deals with efforts that contribute towards the arrest of the loss of terrestrial and marine biodiversity in the area, maintain and reactivate the ecosystem and protected areas such as Natura 2000 sites.
The Mediterranean basin represents a hotspot of biodiversity with many species being lost or on the brink of extinction. The island of Malta is home to over 1,100 vascular plant species, while Sicily has over 2,700 vascular plant species, with about 20% being endemic. SimaSeed is an ambitious project that seeks to carry out scientific studies on how to reduce the loss of important but endangered plant species from selected Natural 2000 sites in Malta and Sicily both through in situ and ex situ conservation.
The project aims to conserve germplasm and reinforce plant populations of rare and endangered species through the collection and storage of seeds in seed banks as well as by growing plants in nurseries that will then be used for habitat restoration and reinforcement. A new seedbank will be set up in Gozo and two existing seedbanks, the one at Argotti and the other at the University of Catania, will be upgraded. The project will also assist in cooperation with other entities both in Malta and Sicily to improve scientific understanding and promote greater awareness and education on the use of native plants in habitat restoration, landscaping and nursery practice.
The Department of Plant Biology at the University of Catania is the project leader, while Argotti Botanic Gardens and the Resource Centre of the University of Malta, the Centro Conservazione del Germoplasma "Marianelli", Regione Siciliana and the Ministry of Gozo are partners.