Island Resources Foundation was founded in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1972, dedicated to the premise that islands are special places, with particularly fragile natural and social environments and exceptionally precarious development options. Our primary geographic focus for nearly four decades has been the insular Caribbean, and our central mission has been to assist small islands to achieve the capacities to address the challenges of social, economic and institutional growth while protecting and enhancing their environments. The Foundation is globally recognized for its contributions to a body of island-specific information systems and programs that recognize the uniqueness of island conditions, the vulnerabilities of island environments, and the special qualities of island life.