Twenty-nine low-lying coral atolls and five solitary low coral islands rise over 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) from the abyssal plain to no more than a couple of meters above the surface of the equatorial Pacific and comprise the islands known to the Marshallese as Aelon Kein. The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)4 of the Marshall Islands is over 2 million km2 (770,000 sq. miles) and a mere fraction of that – less than 0.01% (183 km2 or 70 sq. miles) – island. A total of 1,225 individual islands and islets make up the Ratak (Sunrise) chain in the east, and the Ralik (Sunset) chain in the west. The atolls consist of biotic limestone on a deep basalt core, built over millions of years by living coral organisms that grew as the basalt core slowly subsided, creating a marine environment extremely rich in productivity, diversity and complexity. The entirety of the Marshall Islands lies in the centralwestern part of the Conservation International Polynesia/Micronesia Hotspot, and the northern Marshall Islands form the Key Biodiversity Area, Kabin Meto.

The Marshall Islands Conservation Society was incorporated in November 16, 2004 in Majuro Atoll by a group of conservationists in the effort to raise enviromental awareness, to help government and communities build capacity for marine conservation, sustainable use of resources and protection of biodiversity, and to strengthen cultural practices. Focus on establishing mutual partnerships with both local and international agencies and organizations was a priority.

MICS now has three programs of focus: Marine, Terrestrial, and Public Awareness and Education. Projects like the Ko Bed Ia? Public Awareness Campaign, Ratak Chain Pigeon (Mule) Rehabilitation Project, and Shoreline Replanting Project, are among a few of the organizations' proud accomplishments.

Viewing public education as the key to success, MICS focused on: i) the development of an Environmental Radio Network which will connect up outer islands with Majuro to exchange information by 2-way radio about RMI’s atoll environments, natural resources, fisheries, livelihood opportunities and other areas of interest; ii) community consultations to target areas of concern such as solid waste management on Majuro, spearheading solid waste and recycling partnership projects such as ‘Talking Trash in Majuro‘ that can support community awareness, recycling, plastics reduction, and other important practices leading to better management of solid waste, with cleaner beaches, reefs and lagoon together with resulting improvements in our economy, environment and health; and iii) school visits in the hopes of instilling into the children of the RMI key attitudes and knowledge on environmental issues, sustainable resource consumption, and effects of climate change on island nations.