The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) is an international, professional membership society dedicated to advancing the science and practice of conserving Earth’s biological diversity. Founded in 1985, SCB is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and serves more than 4,000 members worldwide — a community of researchers, practitioners, students, and policy professionals working across the conservation field.
SCB’s work spans three core program areas. It publishes three peer-reviewed journals that are among the most cited in the field: Conservation Biology (the flagship journal), the open-access Conservation Science and Practice, and Conservation Letters. The Society convenes the International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) — the largest global meeting of conservation scientists — and supports a network of regional sections and groups including NACCR (North America), CACN (Asia), and SCBO (Oceania). Its Smith Fellows program places early-career scientists into conservation organizations to bridge research and practice.
SCB is an active IUCN member and supports the IUCN’s work through its global network of academic and applied conservation scientists. Many SCB members serve on IUCN Species Specialist Groups and contribute directly to the IUCN Red List. SCB’s role in building the scientific basis of conservation practice makes it a long-standing institutional partner of IUCN’s science and policy work.
