The very thought of islands conjures up images of romance and tranquility. While it is true that on many of the world's 100,000-plus islands one might find swaying palm trees, lagoons teeming with marine life or waves gently lapping on a sandy beach, the importance of islands goes far beyond their striking beauty.
Islands are the Earth's great repositories of biological diversity.
Thanks to their favorable climates and historic isolation, islands are home to thousands of species that do not exist elsewhere. Many islands are home to mangrove forests, the breeding grounds and nurseries for countless species of fish. Even small islands have huge territorial claims to the surrounding oceans. But island ecosystems and cultures are threatened as never before. They have a disproportionately high number of endangered species.