ISLAND BIOLOGY 2026 (Atami) is planning a special issue in collaboration with Ecological Research, the international English-language journal of the Ecological Society of Japan, focusing on research related to the conference. Islands are often described as “natural laboratories of evolution” and have long remained essential systems for understanding biodiversity, ecological processes, and evolutionary history.

Participants of the conference are warmly encouraged to consider developing their oral or poster presentations into full papers and submitting them to this special issue as an opportunity to disseminate their research in an international journal. The special issue will welcome original research papers on a broad range of island-related topics, including island ecology, phylogeography, evolutionary biology, conservation, biodiversity, and global change.

Building on the discussions and interactions fostered during the conference, we hope this special issue will strengthen international collaboration across regions and disciplines and contribute to advancing new directions in island biology research. Further details regarding the special issue and submission procedures will be announced after the conference.