9 Amazing Reasons Why Islands Are Incredibly Important For Biodiversity

Who doesn’t dream of escaping the troubles of our world to some deserted tropical island on the sapphire blue sea? Today (May 22) is the U.N.'s International Day for Biological Diversity, and to keep with the UN International Year of Small Island Developing States, 2014 is celebrating Island Biodiversity. Take a look at why islands are important to supporting biodiversity.

1. Isolation leads to unique species!

blog.conservation.org / Via Conservation International

Darwin's Finches. Kiwis. Lemurs. What do they all have in common? They all uniquely evolved on isolated islands. Unfortunately, this isolation and absence of land predators makes them susceptible to invasive species, like mosquitoes, snakes, rats and many other introduced exotic species. Approximately three-fourths of 476 globally threatened species in the Polynesia/Micronesia hotspot are threatened by invasive species.

2. They are a rest stop for birds

blog.conservation.org / Via Conservation International

Birds use islands around the world as rest stops, nesting and feeding grounds. Seabirds can live miles from land for months or even years. Two-thirds of all bird extinctions in the last 200 years have occurred in the Pacific Islands.

3. They are also landmarks for whales

blog.conservation.org / Via Conservation International

Humpback whales, as well as other migratory oceanic species, use islands as landmarks as they swim from feeding to mating grounds. The coastal ecosystem of islands provides a source of food for these visitors on their long journeys. Whales migrate making calculated turns at 23.439 degrees and multiples of that, the same angle as the Earth’s axis!

4. They are natural fish factories

blog.conservation.org / Via Conservation International

Coastal ecosystems such as reefs and mangroves that surround islands serve as nurseries for fish and other species that support coastal livelihoods. These ecosystems provide some of the world’s most vulnerable people with a source of food and income.

5. Small island states are great for conservation

blog.conservation.org / Via Conservation International

In the heart of the Pacific, with land area about the size of New York City, Kiribati’s ocean territory is 4,000 times larger, about the size of India. Kiribati’s Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) is the world’s largest World Heritage Site about the size of California and home to whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, seabirds, reef fish and one of the most pristine coral reefs on the planet.

... And that is not the only one:

6. The Cook Islands has declared a 1.1 million square km marine park

blog.conservation.org / Via Conservation International

Following Kiribati’s lead, the Cook Islands is currently working to legally establish one of the world’s largest MPAs.

7. Cocos Island is an example of a successful oceanic marine protected area

blog.conservation.org / Via Conservation International

The protected waters surrounding Cocos Island provide an important refuge for sharks and other large fish, making the island a popular destination for adventurous divers. This protected area has twice as many large fish, five times more large fish biomass and a stunning 14 times more shark biomass than fished areas! The underwater islands called seamounts surrounding Cocos provide rich feeding grounds for migratory marine species.

8. New Caledonia just legally established the largest marine park!

blog.conservation.org / Via Conservation International

Larger than Alaska and three times the size of Germany, New Caledonia’s MPA, the Natural Park of the Coral Sea, is the world’s largest protected area. Essential to people, biodiversity and climate resilience, the park’s ecosystems generate around 2,500-3,000 tons of fish each year, providing food to a quarter of a million people and an economic driver for the territory’s sustainable economy.

9. 24 Island Nations are committed to the Pacific Oceanscape

blog.conservation.org / Via Conservation International

The Pacific Oceanscape, an area the size of the moon and four times the size of the U.S., is currently managed by 24 island nations and territories, an unprecedented effort among Pacific Island nations to collaboratively and sustainably manage this vital area ocean.

youtube.com / Via conservation.org

The Pacific Oceanscape Video