A public awareness campaign is to be launched in the new year plugging the importance of Bermuda's biological diversity, new Environment Minister Dennis Lister said on Friday.

Promotional messages will be played on TV, radio and at the cinema while the schools will be visited by an education team involved with the Bermuda Biodiversity Project.

Scientists have been logging data on the Island's environment.

Mr. Lister told the House of Assembly: "Marine and cave mapping are well underway. Bermudian divers are being recruited to work with specialists scheduled to visit Bermuda in January to advise on mapping the Island's network of caves."

He said local and overseas scientists had already prepared 44 biodiversity papers. And there is ongoing research into Bermuda's skink, longtail and toad populations to help shape environmental policy.

The project has already led to the Bermuda Biodiversity Country study which gave data on the location and quality of all local species and habitats. Over the summer eight interns looked into the giant land crab, the longtail, reef fish and deformities in toads.

But Mr. Lister said the public were not that concerned about green issues.

He said: "To address these issues the steering committee has launched an ambitious campaign to raise public awareness."

A draft action plan is set to be released early next year said Mr. Lister with the aim of bringing Bermuda in line with the international convention on biological diversity.