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--Apple-Mail-20--20916160 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed SEPT. 14, 2012 - At about 4 p.m., in Wolfville Harbour with the tide out of the harbour (3 hrs. after high tide), Gisele D'Entremont & Bruce Doucette & I looked in vain for the marbled godwit -- there were scattered yellowlegs and peeps, some foraging, some just standing, plus the usual ducks (mostly inactive) and foraging ring- billed gulls. I noticed lots of human footprints at the top of the intertidal marsh on the east side, north of the RR tracks, and my guess is that recently there have been Intro. Biology lab classes from Acadia Univ. there getting introduced to biology by showing the Yummy Muds of Minas (phrase from retired Acadia marine guru Sherman Bleakney). Thus I wondered if these classes and their activities might have scared the godwit away from the harbour (hopefully temporarily)? To bore you further on the "yummy mud", on any Sunny day with the tide out a bit, from the wharf the surface of the mud shows very noticeable large patches coloured by a golden-brown sheen. These patches are from dense aggregations of microscopic single-celled "plants" called diatoms, which have migrated up to the surface in order to photosynthesize. Many sorts of organisms feed on the surface biofilm of diatoms, bacteria (very important in this degratory & exportive ecosystem, based on the microbial breakdown of the salt-marsh grasses and other formerly living organisms. Some of these biofilm eaters include mud shrimps, mud snails, several kinds of worms, Macoma clams, and, surprise? (no), our favourite peep, the semipalmated sandpiper! (cf. the research papers of Dr. Diana Hamilton and students from Mt. Allison Univ.)(they have even studied this at night-time, when of course the tidal cycles continue (12 hrs. 25 minutes from high to high or from low to low....). Lastly, for now, the "yummy mud" is incredibly biodiverse with both plants and animals, and hugely productive in terms of various forms of carbon, much of which is exported by our huge tides. So who knows how much of the productivity of the Bay of Fundy fisheries and whale- watching etc. (and the dreaded salmon farming) derives from that exported energy from the upper Fundy salt-marshes and mudflats? Cheers from Jim in Wolfville --Apple-Mail-20--20916160 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>SEPT. = 14, 2012</b> - At about 4 p.m., in <b>Wolfville Harbour </b>with the = tide out of the harbour (3 hrs. after high tide), Gisele D'Entremont = & Bruce Doucette & I<b> looked in vain for the marbled godwit = </b>-- there were scattered yellowlegs and peeps, some foraging, some = just standing, plus the usual ducks (mostly inactive) and foraging = ring-billed gulls. </font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">I noticed lots of human = footprints at the top of the intertidal marsh on the east side, north of = the RR tracks, and my guess is that recently there have been<b> Intro. = Biology lab classes</b> from Acadia Univ. there getting introduced to = biology by showing the Yummy Muds of Minas (phrase from retired Acadia = marine guru Sherman Bleakney).</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Thus I wondered if these = classes and their activities might have scared the godwit away from the = harbour (hopefully temporarily)?</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: = normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">To bore you further on the = "yummy mud", on any Sunny day with the tide out a bit, from the wharf = the <b>surface of the mud</b> shows very noticeable large patches = coloured by a golden-brown sheen. These patches are from dense = aggregations of microscopic single-celled "plants" called = <b>diatoms</b>, which have <b>migrated</b> up to the surface in order = to<b> photosynthesize</b>.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Many sorts of organisms feed on the surface = biofilm</b> of diatoms, bacteria (very important in this degratory & = exportive ecosystem, based on the microbial breakdown of the salt-marsh = grasses and other formerly living organisms. Some of these biofilm = eaters include mud shrimps, mud snails, several kinds of worms, Macoma = clams, and, surprise? (no), our favourite peep, the semipalmated = sandpiper! (cf. the research papers of Dr. Diana Hamilton and students = from Mt. Allison Univ.)</font><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">(they have even studied this at night-time, = when of course the tidal cycles continue (12 hrs. 25 minutes from high = to high or from low to low....)</span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">.</span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Lastly, for now, the<b> "yummy mud" is incredibly = biodiverse</b> with both plants and animals,<b> and hugely productive = </b>in terms of various forms of carbon, much of which is exported by = our hug