Effect of tube-building polychaetes on intertidal sediments on the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy

The extreme tidal range in the Bay of Fundy (up to 17 m) exposes intertidal mud and sand flats up to 4 km wide. These flats support large populations of invertebrates, whose zonation is markedly influenced by sediment type. The fauna of the sand flats on the south shore of the Minas Basin is characterized by large numbers of deposit-feeding polychaete worms, both sedentary and errant. Two tube-building species have a marked influence on the …