Acadia University: Invertebrate species distribution during winter conditions at the Windsor mudflat, an intertidal mudflat located in the upper Bay of Fundy, January - June, 1996

The Windsor mudflat was formed by sediment accretion following the 1970 construction of the Windsor Causeway across the formerly tidal Avon River, in Nova Scotia, Canada. The Avon Estuary drains into the Minas Basin of the Bay of Fundy. The mudflat is situated between the causeway and the confluence of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers, centered at latitude 44o 59.75' North, longitude 64o 08.75' West (Canadian Hydrographic Service, 1994).

The portion of the mudflat used in this study lies on the eastern bank of the Avon River, approximately 400 m north of the east end of the Windsor Causeway and about 180 m northwest of the Windsor Tourist Bureau. At the time of the study (January to June, 1996), the study site extended northwest 78 m from the edge of the saltmarsh to the edge of the wastewater-outfall channel and straddled two parallel drainage channels, approximately 60 m apart, which extend perpendicularly from the saltmarsh to the sewage outfall channel.

To determine the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates at the study site, random sampling was conducted during an ice-free period in February. Once most of the ice had disappeared in mid-March, the study area was sampled weekly for 12 weeks, to monitor the spring recolonization of the mudflat. A systematic sample design was used, to minimize disturbance of the soft sediment during repeated weekly visits. In addition, a few samples of sediment and ice were collected at ice-free spots early in the study, in order to explore sediment conditions and invertebrate abundance during the period of ice cover.

加拿大新斯科舍省的温莎泥滩（Windsor mudflat）是1970年横跨原潮汐性埃文河（Avon River）的温莎堤道（Windsor Causeway）建成后，由沉积物淤积形成的。埃文河口注入芬迪湾的米纳斯盆地（Minas Basin）。该泥滩位于堤道与埃文河-圣克罗伊河交汇处之间，中心坐标为北纬44°59.75′、西经64°08.75′（加拿大水文局，1994）。

本研究使用的泥滩区域位于埃文河东岸，距温莎堤道东端以北约400米，温莎旅游局西北约180米处。研究期间（1996年1月至6月），研究区域从盐沼边缘向西北延伸78米至污水排放渠边缘，并横跨两条平行排水渠——这两条排水渠相距约60米，从盐沼垂直延伸至污水排放渠。

为确定研究区域大型无脊椎动物（macroinvertebrates）的分布与丰度，研究人员于2月无冰期进行随机采样。3月中旬大部分冰层消融后，研究区域每周采样一次，持续12周，以监测泥滩的春季再定殖过程。研究采用系统采样设计，以减少每周重复采样对软质沉积物的扰动。此外，研究初期在无冰区域采集了少量沉积物和冰样，旨在探究冰封期的沉积物状况及无脊椎动物丰度。