The Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB) was conceived in 2005 and is one of nine research institutes of the Chilean Millennium Science Initiative (MSI). Millennium Science Institutes are Centers of Excellence, bringing together scientists sharing a common philosophy and research goals. The mission of IEB is to conduct frontier research in biodiversity science, giving special attention to the effects of climate change on biodiversity in the past, present and future, and to advance the science behind the conservation, management and sustainable use of natural capital and ecosystems for the socio-economic development of Chile.