Mission and Vision
The mission of the Living Archipelagos is to identify and help protect a select group of priority sites of high ecological value that face imminent threat and that can be quickly saved with relatively modest amounts of effort and money. These sites may be terrestrial or marine. Priority will be given to those sites with significant biological resources and immediate conservation needs, but which also provide political opportunities and conditions for near-term implementation of effective protective management measures.
Living Archipelagos was launched in 2003 with an initial focus on the Pacific region, particularly the island and atoll ecosystems of Polynesia and Micronesia. Tropical Polynesia and Micronesia, a region which encompasses 24 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, includes over 1400 islands and atolls and represents 11 countries, 8 territories, and 1 U.S. state (Hawai‘i). The region is home to a diverse range of marine and terrestrial habitats and an enormous number of endemic species. However, human population growth and development in the region has severely endangered many species of plants and animals, and today less than a fifth of the original vegetation remains in natural condition.
Once an initial array of conservation projects is underway in the Polynesia/Micronesia region, Living Archipelagos anticipates expanding its attention to other island-rich regions of the world, including the Caribbean.