"Parts of this book first appeared in The New Yorker. Originally published in 1955 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt"--Copyright page.

Includes index.

The marginal world -- Patterns of shore life -- The rocky shores -- The rim of sand -- The coral coast -- The enduring sea -- Appendix. Classification.

"In this remarkable book, Rachel Carson explores the strange and beautiful places at the edge of the sea, leading us into unknown worlds to catch the evanescent beauty of a tide pool and tell the story of a grain of sand. Focusing on the plants and invertebrates surviving in the Atlantic zones between the lowest and the highest tides, between Newfoundland and the Florida Keys, The Edge of the Sea is divided into three main sections: The Rocky Shore, The Rim of Sand, The Coral Coast. These environments are found the world over but because of its configuration in geological history, the American Atlantic coast demonstrates their life patterns 'almost with the clarity of a well conceived scientific experiment.' With poetry and science she transforms the seemingly simple animal and plant life in the sea into complex and stunningly beautiful creatures deserving of our compassion, understanding, and finally, protection"--