2.1 The marine and coastal environment of the
Galapagos Islands, as well as their terrestrial environment, have
very special natural features which are conditioned by the islands'
equatorial setting and by their position at the confluence of a complex
system of marine currents, whose effects vary in terms of space and
time. The geographical isolation and widespread nature of the islands
have influenced the distribution and evolution of the species that
exist there, creating biogeographic zones.