To support the conservation of island biodiversity, the HNIBR has selected 20 inhabited islands each year since 2021 and carried out intensive surveys across major taxonomic groups, including: (i) animals (insects, vertebrates, and invertebrates); (ii) plants (bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms); and (iii) microorganisms (fungi, prokaryotes, and protists). Through these efforts, the institute has built a comprehensive biodiversity dataset for island ecosystems.

In addition, the surveys confirmed the presence of endangered wildlife species and endemic species, laying the groundwork for long-term monitoring of island biodiversity.

Over the five-year survey period, a total of 14,074 species were identified, comprising 6,724 animal species, 3,142 plant species, and 4,208 microbial species. This represents approximately 23% of the 61,230 species listed in the National Species List of Korea¹⁾ and about 63% of the 22,084 native species recorded from Korea's islands.