The Edge of the Sea: A Report and Analysis
The book The Edge of the Sea was written by Rachel Carson, a marine biologist most renowned for Silent Spring, a 1962 book that exposed the dangers of DDT, a widely used pesticide at the time. Her book was a major catalyst for the eventual ban of DDT in the United States. The book The Edge of the Sea is about the depictions, analysis, and observations of the sea, various ecosystems in the sea such as coral reefs, the diversity of life in our oceans and beaches, as well as an artistic depiction of the sea and its various ecosystems and diversity of life. Although a scientist, Rachel Carson tended to write more like a poet than an academic researcher. Despite writing more like a poet, she still manages to deliver numerous scientific facts about our oceans and life inhabiting our oceans.
The first chapter is the first place the “edge of the sea” is mentioned, meaning the shoreline. She talks about how it first was an “area of unrest where waves have broken heavily against the land, where the tides have pressed forward over the continents, receded, and then returned.” (Carson 26) She goes on shortly after about the sea goes through tides, speaking of “a dual nature.” (Carson 27) This is speaking of how the ocean goes through “high” and “low” tides throughout the day. She describes how life in this area must constantly adapt to changing conditions due to varying currents, tides either “flooding” or “drying” certain areas in the shoreline, and constantly changing temperatures due to outside factors such as weather, temperature, and sunlight. She shortly talks about “pools” of water that she also observed in a cave.
The second chapter goes into more detail about the shore, but more focused on life found in the shore, and the history of life on the ocean shore. She first starts by mentioning that definitively determining the first animals and/or plants to inhabit the shorelines is difficult. She mentions “The rocks that were laid down as sediments during the first half of the earth’s history, in the Archeozoic era, have since been altered chemically and physically by the pressure of many thousands of feet of superimposed layers and by the intense heat of the deep regions to which they have been confined during much of their existence.” (Carson 39) However, she does mention vague clues that can give us an idea on what organisms were the first to inhabit the shorelines. It is believed to be organisms such as algae and bacteria. (Carson 40). Furthermore, when one went up the layers of sedimentary rock, there was an “empty gap” that gave virtually no clue to what lived at the shore during the times presented by the “empty gap”. The “gap” actually separates Proterozoic era and the Cambrian era. The Cambrian era would have a lot more fossils and evidence of what lived on the shorelines during that period. She goes on to give numerous examples and vivid descriptions of the organisms that were thought to have lived there at the time, goes into detail about various organisms’ traits and how they aid said organisms’ survival (examples include barnacles on page 52 and sea urchins on page 53). She then goes on in the same chapter to talk about the currents and tides and how they affect life. She gives examples of shallow waters heating up relatively quickly and how various animals at times fail to adapt (Carson 56), and how marine animals are often sensitive to drastic temperature changes. She later shows how differing climates often resulted in vastly different organisms arising, and talks about Cape Cod as an example. (Carson 63)
The third chapter also goes on about shores, but a different type of shore, one defined by a rocky surface rather than a sandy one. She goes into descriptive, and quite artistic, detail about the various forms of life, how the ocean interacts with rocky shores, and how life evolved around this general area. She describes mountains, glaciers, and forests that are found not far from the ocean. Early on in the chapter, she gives some description of geological occurrences in such areas; for example, she mentions “As geologic events are reckoned, all this happened rather rapidly and suddenly, with no time for gradual adjustment of the landscape; also it happened quite recently, the present relation of land and sea being achieved perhaps no more than ten thousand years ago. In the chronology of Earth, a few thousand years are as nothing, and in so brief a time the waves have prevailed little against the hard rocks that the great ice sheet scraped clean of loose rock and ancient soil, and so have scarcely marked out the deep notches that in time they will cut in the cliffs.” (Carson 97-98) She later points out certain weather conditions of the area; for example, rocky shores are more likely to be foggy than many other places. She goes on to describe the life found in this ecosystem in intense detail, in a scientific and also artistic sense. There are descriptions about how the various organisms over time affected the structure of the ecosystem they inhabit. She goes on to describe specific organisms in great detail, such as barnacles, algae, tunicates, and sugar kelp. She also writes of moss being prevalent in these ecosystems, which often cover rocks near the shore, and also seaweed. The first animal she writes of inhabiting the rocky shores is the hermit crab. The next group of organisms she discusses are snails. Another animals she discusses, which is another mollusk, are organisms called periwinkles. The prey of many of the mollusks on the rocky shores in much of New England includes shrimp, which also inhabit these waters. She goes on to describe barnacles, and then seaweed. Many other organisms are briefly discussed throughout the chapter; for example the “sea potato” is discussed shortly after seaweed, giving a general description of the animals in a somewhat artistic manner as well as being informative.
The fourth chapter also goes on about the shore, but instead of there being a rocky surface, it’s the sand and beaches that we are all familiar with when someone mentions “shore” or “shoreline”. On the previous chapter, she focused on New England, as there are many rocky shorelines there. In most of the US coast, however, the shores are sandy. She quickly points out how over time, the shoreline has “changed location," meaning that there were areas that were beaches and shorelines thousands to millions of years prior that are no longer either of those things. She also mentions in vague detail about how the sea were formed. She is quoted saying, “During those long ages of geologic time, the sea has ebbed and flowed over the great Atlantic coastal plain. It has crept toward the distant Appalachians, paused for a time, then slowly receded, sometimes far into its basin; and on each such advance it has rained down its sediments and left the fossils of its creatures over that vast and level plain.” (Carson 237) She mentions how the beaches have a history that some would not expect. For example, she mentions how “The bulk of seashore sand is derived from the weathering and decay of rocks, transported from their place of origin to the sea by the rains and the rivers.” (Carson 238) For example, much of the sand in Florida are not local in origin, being brought to the shore by various rivers and the weathering of rocks in other places. Sand also varies in composition wherever you go around the world, but Florida sand is mostly composed of quartz. Then, she goes to talk about a multitude of examples pertaining to the various animal and plant life that can be found around the shoreline and the shallow depths of the ocean close to the shore. The first organism she writes of is the “sea pansy," an animal from the phylum Cnidaria, which also encompasses jellyfish, corals, and sea anemones. The sea pansy is a colony of animals rather than just one animal itself, similar to the Portuguese Man O’ War. Its behavior changes depending on tides and the conditions of the sea. The next animal she refers to is one we know well, and that is a sand dollar, which is a sea urchin in reality, just flattened. It is pentaradial like other echinoderms, and it’s skeletons are found all along the shoreline, which indicates that sand dollars live near the shore, and due to them living at the shore, have developed numerous traits that are characteristic to that environment. She says, “The spines shimmered in the sunlight as their waving movements set up currents that kept the sand grains in motion and eased the passage of the creature from water into earth.” (Carson 260) The starfish is an echinoderm that is mentioned shortly after the sand dollar and sea urchins. There is much description about the starfish, with various starfish mentioned, one being a starfish that buries itself in the sand. Shortly after, the organism talked about is the lugworm. She mentions that it prefers warmer climates and is most active in the summer. She again brings to attention the importance of tides on animal behavior near the shoreline.
The next chapter talks about a very significant ecosystem that exists in shallow seawater. That ecosystem is coral reefs. She first describes the coral reefs located near the Florida Keys, and she describes the general climate for coral reefs. She states, “The living coral coasts of the world are confined to waters in which the temperature seldom falls below 70° F (and never for prolonged periods), for the massive structures of the reefs can be built only where the coral animals are bathed by waters warm enough to favor the secretion of their calcareous skeletons. Reefs and all the associated structures of a coral coast are therefore restricted to the area bounded by the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.” (Carson 384) She first talks about the environment and necessary conditions for the coral reefs to survive in significant detail. She then, speaking mainly about the coral reefs in the Florida Keys, talks about how the coral reefs formed. She also goes into significant detail about the visual aspects of the coral reefs. After that, she starts writing about the corals themselves, especially about the composition of the corals. She writes much a bout the substance of the corals, first mentioning “the hard substance of the coral colony is usually white, but may take on the colors of minute plant cells that live within the soft tissues in a relation of mutual benefit.” (Carson 402) After the vivid description, observation, and facts about the corals themselves, she moves on to the various animals that inhabit the coral reefs. The first animal she writes about is the “flamingo-tongue snail," which is another sign that mollusks inhabit all kinds of coastal habitats and ecosystems. A fish she mentions is the barracuda, which tends to inhabit oceans in tropical areas. She writes how the barracuda is known to be attracted to shiny objects. She writes “Encrusting sponges spread their mats of yellow, green, purple, and red over the walls of the reef; exotic mollusks like the jewel box and the spiny oyster cling to it; long-spined sea urchins make dark, bristling patches in the hollows and crevices; and schools of brightly colored fishes twinkle along the façade of the reef where the lone hunters, the gray snapper and the barracuda, wait to seize them.” (Carson 406) Soon after, she writes about how some animals in the coral reefs are more active at night; for example, she writes about the “little coral animals, who, avoiding daylight, had remained shrunken within their protective cups until darkness fell” (Carson 407). Numerous other fish, crustaceans, and turtles are later mentioned in similar amounts of detail.
When it comes to her style of writing, she manages to write in a way that intrigues many readers who normally are not interested in science, while also telling you considerable amounts of information. She writes much like a poet in many sections of the book, while also mentioning various scientific facts and discoveries. She has visited this areas before, and she is able to smoothly incorporate her experiences into this book as well. Although there are some portions of the book that strictly stays to the facts of the organisms, climate, or the environment, she manages to also paint a vivid picture of the various ecosystems. For example, when talking about the horse conch, which inhabits the coral reefs, she writes, “One has only to see it feeding to realize how powerful it is; when the massive body, brick-red like the shell, is extended to enfold and overwhelm its prey, it seems impossible to believe that so much flesh can ever be drawn back into the shell again. Even the king crown conch, itself a predator on many other conchs, is no match for it. No other American gastropods approach its size.” (Carson 469). While also educating people about the nature and how the horse conch eats its prey, she throws in a few artistic descriptors. In numerous other parts of the book, however, she only writes the facts about the ecosystem. For example, when speaking of coral reefs, she writes, “The living coral coasts of the world are confined to waters in which the temperature seldom falls below 70° F. (and never for prolonged periods), for the massive structures of the reefs can be built only where the coral animals are bathed by waters warm enough to favor the secretion of their calcareous skeletons.” So this novel, because of this approach, is able to attract much bigger audiences; for example, many people who are normally not scientific and/or have a personality that’s more geared to art and creativity.
In conclusion, this book talks about the various shores and coastlines that are present around the world. The first chapter talks about the general behavior of the various shorelines, speaking vividly of tides, temperature variation, climate variation, and general animal behavior and adaptation. It also was the shortest chapter in the book, further indicating its generality. The second chapter goes into more specifics about shore life, with various references to adaptation, the fossil record, the beliefs as to what were the first life forms to inhabit the oceans, and evolution, referring to the traits of various animals. The third chapter starts going into a specific type of shore, the rocky shores, which are the types of shores that are present in Cape Cod, which is the area with a rocky shore she mentions most throughout the chapter. She talks about how forests are often nearby and moss being a very prevalent “primitive plant,” being seen often next to seaweed and rocks, on shore or boulders found way into sea. The fourth chapter talks about the shore we are most familiar with, the beaches, goes into some detail about the composition of sand, its origins, the various forms of life that inhabit the beaches and shallow waters near the shore, and its general climate. She also writes about the various animals that inhabit these waters, including many we are familiar with, such as the sand dollar, sea urchin, starfish, crabs, and certain snails. The fifth chapter goes on to talk about a certain ecosystem that often also has shorelines similar to that of the ordinary beach, and that is the coral reef. This is considered to be one of the most significant marine ecosystems, and is a good general indicator of how the surrounding environment is doing due to its overall sensitivity to change. She goes on about what the corals are made of, the diversity of life that inhabits the coral reefs, and its optimal climate. She manages to do all this by being very informative about the ecosystems and life that is present there, while also writing in a style that hooks in many otherwise uninterested people. Although we have learned a lot more in the decades after the book The Edge of the Sea was written, it is considered a very informative book for people interested about life that inhabit the shores around the world.