潮汐對於海洋生物以及

人類生活所造成的影響，

可見於世界各地。

例如，若不是潮汐的消長與沖刷

帶來了食物，數以百億計的海底座生動物

像牡蠣、貽貝、藤壺等，

將會因為不能自由行動找尋食物

而無法生存。

在潮間帶的生存環境裡，

海岸生物因退潮而乾涸致死、

或因漲潮而被捲離居所的

危險輪番而來。

退潮時飽受來自陸地上

其他生物的威脅、

漲潮時又得應付

來自海裡其他生物的敵意。

但是居住在潮間帶的生物們，

為了順應環境而改頭換面的能力，

令人歎為觀止。

它們如此纖細脆弱，卻能忍受驚濤駭浪、

石破天驚般的強烈衝擊。

The influence of the tide over the affairs of sea creatures as well as men may be seen all over the world.

The billions upon billions of sessile animals, like oysters, mussels, and barnacles, owe their very existence to the sweep of the tides, which brings them the food which they are unable to go in search of.

By marvelous adaptations of form and structure, the inhabitants of the world between the tide lines are enabled to live in the zone where the danger of being dried up is matched against the danger of being washed away, where for every enemy that comes by sea there is another that comes by land, and where the most delicate of living tissues must somehow withstand the assault of storm waves that have the power to shift tons of rock or to crack the hardest granite.

文：Rachel Carson

譯：Platero

圖：朱恩伶