Despite covering just 7% of Earth's land surface, island ecosystems are home to nearly 20% of the planet's biodiversity—yet they remain surprisingly overlooked in global conservation strategies.

From rising sea levels to invasive species, islands face mounting pressures as our climate and ecosystems shift. This discovery underscores a critical gap in how we protect nature: while researchers have identified that these unique environments punch well above their weight in species richness, conservation efforts have not kept pace with this reality. The finding suggests that redirecting even modest resources toward island protection could yield outsized benefits for global biodiversity. Read the full story →

Today's takeaway: Protecting islands could be one of the smartest conservation investments we make, safeguarding a disproportionate share of life on Earth.