As the global tropical biology community prepares to gather in Xishuangbanna, China, from June 28 – July 3 for ATBC 2026, we are also looking ahead to our next destination. We are excited to share our future plans so that members can begin discussing ideas and collaborating for 2027.

We are excited to announce that the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) will take place in Libreville, Gabon, from June 20–26, 2027.

For the first time, ATBC will gather in the Congo Basin region — home to the second-largest tropical rainforest, and the world’s greatest net carbon sink, serving as one of the planet’s most important regions for biodiversity, climate resilience, and conservation.

Hosted by the National Center for Scientific and Technological Research (CENAREST), the Congo Basin Institute (CBI), and the One Forest Vision initiative (OFVi), ATBC 2027 will provide an opportunity to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange across tropical regions while highlighting the biodiversity, conservation initiatives, and scientific leadership emerging from Central Africa under the theme:

“Tropical Ecosystem Resilience at the Crossroads of a Changing Planet, Policy, and Conservation.”

The meeting will be hosted at the newly inaugurated Omar Bongo Ondimba Convention Center, one of the largest in Central Africa, featuring ultra-modern, flexible facilities designed to host high-profile international events.

More details, including the conference website, calls for academic sessions and abstracts, funding opportunities, and other ways to participate in ATBC 2027, will be shared in the coming months.

We look forward to connecting with many of you in Xishuangbanna in just a few weeks, and to welcoming the ATBC community to Gabon in 2027!