Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Pollinator Research

Several months ago I wrote about the disappearing honey bee. Today CNN reports that a British consortium has committed up to $14.5 million in research grants to scientists investigating the disappearance of pollinators in Britain. (This is a worldwide problem and scientists are working to solve this mystery here in the US and in Europe, too.)

In Britain, the hope is that scientists applying for grants will research the environmental, social, and agricultural factors leading to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) for bees and a general decline in pollinators overall. The Consortium is taking a view toward the future, too, hoping the scientists doing the research will become the experts in pollinator studies for now and the future.

Because the honey bee plays a key role in the pollination of fruits and the production of honey, the cause of the disappearance of large numbers of these creatures is of paramount concern. Various causes have been put forth but none fully explains their disappearance. Here's hoping the Consortium will come up with some solid answers for us all.

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