Islands, culture, landscape and seascape

Land and water, landscape and seascape, nature and culture, communication and isolation, island and islanders are inseparable dualities. In this introductory paper of the new journal on Marine and Island Cultures, the relationship between these dualities is discussed and a few key concepts such as insularity, isolation, island laboratories and biocultural diversity are mentioned.

► Conceptual dualities in cultural and natural island studies are discussed.
► There is a primary relationship between island, culture, landscape and seascape.
► Insularity, isolation, island laboratories and biocultural diversity are key concepts.
► Island landscapes are laboratories for biocultural landscape and diversity.
► Biocultural island landscapes support traditional ecological and cultural knowledge.