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 The Coastal Zone Plant Life of the Galapagos   Travel & Tourism As a remote archipelago, all of the Galapagos’ species of plant life arrived in the islands at some time or another. Birds transported the majority of seeds, while some were carried by the strong prevailing winds, and the remainder were washed in on the flotsam and jetsam of the oceans. The plants that survived and propagated all shared the same hardy features, however, and as pioneering species, they had to adapt in order to thrive in the salty, volcanic environment. Exploring the Galapagos Flora For those with an interest in botany, exploring the Galapagos is an endlessly fascinating experience. The flora of the islands is extremely complex: at least 30% of it is endemic and there are more than 200 introduced species. Generally, however, plants can be roughly described by the vegetation zones in which they survive. The Coastal (Littoral) Zone The coastal or littoral zone extends from the edge of the ocean a...