"Wetland Restoration for Endangered Species Recovery: a Multidisciplinary Case Study of Big Meadow Bog, Brier Island, Nova Scotia" edited by Nicholas M. Hill, Sarah Hines, and Nelson J. O’Driscoll, 2025 [book review

From May to October 2017 seaweeds were identified in the field and laboratory from 20 sites around Brier Island, Nova Scotia. While most sites were intertidal rocky shores, there were one small salt marsh and one eelgrass bed included in the study, and some subtidal sampling was conducted utilizing SCUBA and snorkeling. The Brier Island seaweeds comprised 152 species and varieties of which 62 were Rhodophyta, 44 were Chlorophyta, 44 were Phaeophyceae, and two species were Xanthophyceae. Three species were new records for eastern Canada: Colaconema bonne- maisoniae, C. endophyticum, and Elachista stellaris, all were pre- viously recorded from New England. The flora included eight non- native species of which Colpomenia peregrina and Bonnemaisonia hami- fera (both gametophytic and tetrasporophytic stages) were abundant at two or more sites, and the invasive Codium fragile subsp. fragile was recorded based on a single drift specimen. With 150 species and varieties of seaweeds, Brier Island has the highest species richness of a limited area of eastern Canada. The Cheney floristic index at 2.4 is higher than comparable areas, and suggests that many additional brown algae remain to be found.Keywords: Chlorophyta, Colaconema, Bay of Fundy, Brier Island, Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyta, seaweeds

Seven bat species have been recorded in Nova Scotia, but little information is available on their relative abundance, ecology, and migratory patterns. In the summer of 2001 we used echolocation and trapping surveys at Kejimkujik National Park, Brier Island and Bon Portage Island to help fill this information gap. Our results suggest that significant populations of Myotis septentrionalis, M. lucifugus and Pipistrellus subflavus occur in the province. Although we note the first breeding record of the red bat (Lasiurus borealis) in Atlantic Canada, survey results suggest this species is probably rare and that previous records were probably extralimital. Fewer than five echolocation sequences were attributable to each of hoary bat (L. cinereus) and silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) suggesting that Nova Scotia is at, or beyond, the northern fringe of the range of these species. We recorded three or fewer echolocation sequences of the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus), however, further work should be done in more human-populated areas to confirm the distributional range of this species. At Kejimkujik National Park, we captured Myotis septentrionalis (n = 26), M. lucifugus (n = 17), and Pipistrellus subflavus (n = 3). Despite lower capture success of P. subflavus, echolocation surveys suggest that this species is locally abundant. These records may represent the most northerly breeding population of this species and is the first noted, and maybe only, breeding population of this species in Canada. Poor trapping success for this species is likely the result of its foraging behaviour (i.e., flying high over open areas). On Brier Island we captured only two M. lucifugus and no echolocation sequences were identified as P. subflavus. The magnitude of all species activity at the still water site on Brier Island was one-third the average magnitude of activity at still water sites at Kejimkujik National Park. We captured and/or recorded M. septentrionalis only along forested trails, P. subflavus only over water, and M. lucifugus at all site-types. The overall nightly activity pattern of M. lucifugus was characteristic of the activity pattern of Myotis spp. recorded in other areas, with a peak in activity just after sunset followed by a progressive decline in activity through the remainder of the night. However, P. subflavus activity was more constant through the night.

Copepods and cladocerans were collected, mainly in August, from the top 0.25 m of the water column in the outer Bay of Fundy, off Brier Island, Nova Scotia (ca. 44°15′N, 66°23′W) in 1975–1978, Deer Island, New Brunswick (ca. 45°00′N, 67°00′W) in 1977–1978, and Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick (ca. 44°40′N, 66°43′W) in 1981. In 1975–1977, the dominant species at the surface off Brier Island were stage CIV-I Calanus finmarchicus and CVI-V Pseudocalanus sp. The copepods Acartia spp., Anomalocera pattersonii, Centropages sp., Eurytemora spp., and Oithonia similis and the cladocerans Evadne sp. and Podon sp. also occurred regularly. The relative abundance of Calanus finmarchicus declined during the period July–October 1976, though the proportion of stages CVI-V increased. The relative proportions of Pseudocalanus sp., and of its stages CVI-V, both declined during the same period. The community at the surface was similar to that collected in other studies from subsurface tows in the Bay of Fundy as a whole, including Brier, Deer, and Grand Manan islands. This was not true of Brier Island in 1978: CVI-V Calanus finmarchicus predominated, and other species were scarce. Our samples from Deer and Grand Manan islands resembled those from Brier Island in 1978, though CVI-V Calanus finmarchicus predominated even more strongly. We discuss the differences between our samples from Brier Island in 1978 and 1975–1977, and between the latter and our New Brunswick data. However, there is no obvious explanation for most of these anomalies.

Declines of many North American birds are of conservation concern. For almost 40 years, experienced birders have kept daily counts of migrant landbirds during visits to Seal and Brier Islands, both of which are off Nova Scotia's southern tip. Here we assess the utility of Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) to extract patterns of population change of a common migrant to Seal Island, the Ruby‐crowned Kinglet, while controlling for other influences including season, weather and effort. We also demonstrate, using counts of the Kinglet from Brier Island as well as counts of another common migrant, the Yellow‐rumped Warbler, how our GAM methods can combine data from different geographic areas or distinct species. Most existing analyses of similar long‐term data sets have used linear models to estimate trends. Our results and comparisons suggest that GAMs are a powerful way of extracting more information from such data. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Brier Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the southwestern entrance to the Bay of Fundy, has been known for years as a prime birding destination. It combines access to unusually rich gatherings of pelagic birds, the chance of seeing rarities in greater frequency than almost anywhere else in the province, and the spectacle of large volume land bird migrations. The island lies at the intersection of migratory routes along the east coast of North America. Because of intense oceanic turbulence in the adjacent shallow water, which is in close proximity to deeper water, rich feeding is available for nearshore seabirds and pelagic species. Of the 470+ species recorded from the Province of Nova Scotia as a whole, 355 have been recorded from Brier Island. Many of these are vagrants, mainly of western or southern origin in North America; others are common passage migrants that visit the island briefly in very large numbers, especially in autumn. Apart from possible vagrants in spring and fall, the island is noted for the abundance of passerine migrants in autumn, a striking hawk migration in September and October, late-summer gatherings of phalaropes, shearwaters, and storm petrels, and an abundance of overwintering alcids, loons, grebes, and sea ducks in winter. The island has been the site of bird-banding activity and of Christmas counts for more than 50 years. We provide an introduction to the physiography, geology, physical geography, oceanography, and ecology of the island, along with a list of the breeding birds, a comparison with Grand Manan, New Brunswick, an extensively annotated list of the birds plausibly reported from the island to the middle of 2011, describing occurrence, seasonality, and abundance of all species, and a checklist of the birds of the island. Species occurrence data available via the OBIS Canada data repository http://ipt.iobis.org/obiscanada/resource?r=brierisland_birds

In July–September the euphausiid Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars) swarms at the surface in daytime off Brier Island, Nova Scotia (ca. 44°15′ N 66°23′ W). Systematic observations of swarming were made, mainly in late August 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1978, supplemented in 1974 and 1975 by the frequency of occurrence of the euphatisiids in the proventriculi of collected greater shearwaters, Puffinus gravis (O'Reilly). Swarms, consisting mostly of immature animals, occurred near an area of turbulence where strong tidal streams ran up against steep underwater ledges, bringing cool subsurface water and also copepods to the surface. Swarming was apparently not an attempt to avoid underwater predators or unfavourable oceanographic conditions, nor was it a means of advancing gonad maturation through exposure to solar irradiation. Swarming was most common in spring tide periods when tidal streams were strongest, and did not occur at all during a neap tide period in late August 1975. It is suggested that M. norvegica swarms were transported passively to the surface by strong vertical turbulence. However, the possibility that they swam actively to the surface in search of copepods and other food passively transported in that way could not be ruled out. It is suggested that the surface swarming of Euphausia pacifica Hansen, the other well-documented survey of the phenomenon, by Y. Komaki in 1967, be reexamined in the light of these conclusions. The significance of surface swarms as food sources for a variety of marine predators is discussed.

Wetland Restoration for Endangered Species Recovery. A Multidisciplinary Study of Big Meadow Bog, Brier Island, Nova Scotia

The local distribution of Prasiola crispa is reported for the first time in Nova Scotia. It was common on emergent basalt outcrops in a coastal wetland on the Bay of Fundy shores of Brier Island. The alga was present on 19 of 102 basalt outcrops in one of the breeding colonies of the Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, and was only associated with basalt outcrops with gull feces. Patches of P. crispa were typically associated with the north facing slopes of the rock or were present in depressions or parts of the rock shaded by adjacent vegetation. At Western Light, the gulls are both facilitating the presence of P. crispa and acting as ecosystem engineers by nesting in the adjoining vegetation where their trampling and nutrient inputs are modifying the surrounding wetland ecosystem.

Geum peckii (Rosaceae), the Eastern Mountain Avens, is a small herbaceous plant that is listed as endangered federally and provincially. In Canada, this species is found in bogs on Brier Island and Harris Lake, Digby County, Nova Scotia. The only other population outside of Canada is in New Hampshire (USA). To enhance conservation research of this species, a seed sample from the native species seed bank at Acadia University was used to establish a plant tissue culture of G. peckii plants. Survival of out-planted material was then assessed in both the greenhouse and the field. The field test site was within 20km of the existing plant populations in Digby County. Our study also revealed that G. peckii grows in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). During out-planting, plants received a mycorrhizal inoculum with the goal of enhancing survival. We used either a commercial mycorrhizal inoculum, or a native inoculum. Control plants were left untreated. Survival was 97-100 % among all the treatments by the end of the 2016 planting season. The results to date underscore the potential value of seed banking for protection of endangered native plant species. This study marks the first time in Nova Scotia that an endangered plant species has been successfully retrieved from seed bank storage, propagated by tissue culture, and out-planted back into a natural habitat. Keywords: Conservation, endangered native species, Geum peckii, tissue culture propagation

In many instances nature conservation projects require input from and collaboration with communities that live near or in ecosensitive regions. The ability of communities to be collaborative varies and often requires capacity development for full participation in conservation planning and management. Such capacity development can be expensive, and where sufficient resources are not available the success of conservation projects can be limited. Through a case study of the Brier Island Nature Preserve, near Westport, Nova Scotia, ways in which existing capacity in a community can be better leveraged for the purpose of conservation are examined. We describe how the linked concepts of community values, place dependence, place identity and motivation have influenced conservation on the island. We then suggest how these concepts can provide opportunities to leverage additional resources within the community of Westport for conservation activities. We conclude that an integrated approach that more comprehensively reflects community values, place dependence and identity should foster and enhance local motivation for conservation management and planning.

Baseline and 3-Year Post-restoration Bird Communities at Big Meadow Bog, Brier Island, Nova Scotia

Geological History and Ecosystems Evolution at Big Meadow Bog, Brier Island, Nova Scotia

Birds of Brier Island by Eric L. Mills & Lance Laviolette. Sept.2011; gives a fascinating overview of the visiting and nestingbirds that have travelled through Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundyregion and made a stopover on Brier Island. 107pp, ill. 8.5 x 11in; softcover. Published as a special issue — Vol. 46, Part 1, ofthe Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science.

Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, were studied using individual photo-identification in the waters off Brier Island, Nova Scotia, during the years 1984 to 1996.Estimates of the number of whales visiting the area were obtained for each year using mark-recapture methods.The population size has a variance weighted mean of 80 + 5 (95% CI) for repeated Petersen estimates.There was consistency between estimates from 1984 to 1993 but a decline was seen in 1994 and 1995.These estimates represent approximately 38% of the estimated total population of Humpback Whales of the Gulf of Maine feeding aggregation and approximately 1.8% of the total Western North Atlantic Ocean population.Off Brier Island, a pattern of seasonal variation in sighting rates for half-month periods was observed for the years 1985 to 1989.The results indicate that Humpback Whales arrive slowly in the area during June, reach a population peak around August, the period of greatest plankton abundance, and depart from the area between then and October.Les Rorquals a Bosse, Megaptera novaeangliae, furent |' object d'une étude de photo-identification dans la région de lille Brier, Nouvelle-Ecosse, durant les années 1984 a 1996.Le nombre de baleines qui visitent la région chaque année a été estimé a l'aide de la méthode capture-recapture.Le niveau de population a une moyenne pondérée par la variance de 80 + 5 (95% IC) telle qu'estimée par la méthode Petersen.Peu de variation a été observée entre les estimations individuelles de 1984 a 1993 mais un déclin est observé pour les années 1994 et 1995.Ces estimations représentent approximativement 38% de la valeur estimée pour la population total de baleine qui se trouvent dans l'aggrégation du Golfe du Maine et approximativement 1.8% de la valeur estimée pour la population totale de 1'Océan de |' Atlantique Nord-Ouest.Dans la région de l'ile Brier, les taux de présence des Rorquals a Bosse ont été calculés pour des périodes bimensuelles pour les années 1985 a 1989.Les résultats indiquent que les baleines arrivent lentement dans la région durant le mois de Juin, atteignent leur taux de population maximal au mois d' Aoat, durant la période d'abondance maximale du plankton, et quittent la région entre le mois d' Aoit et le mois d' Octobre.

Pollen, diatom and chironomid fossils from the sediments of a core from Brier Island Bog Lake, Nova Scotia were studied in an attempt to relate changes in microfossil composition to a climatic cooling in Atlantic Canada correlative with the European Younger Dryas ca. 10 to 11 ka. Our paleolimnological data were then compared to similar types of data from Splan Pond, New Brunswick to determine if there were any significant differences between a coastal and a more inland site. Nonarboreal pollen was dominant throughout the Brier Island core and the interval 10.0–11.0 ka did not show the typical decline in Picea and increases in tundra-like vegetation characteristic of many sites in Atlantic Canada. However, the limnological indicators did undergo marked changes in taxon composition. The chironomid assemblage was initially dominated by shallow-water, warm-adapted chironomid taxa followed by abundant Sergentia (a cold stenotherm) during 10–11 ka. Sergentia disappeared in the “post Younger Dryas” interval and the warm-adapted genera resumed dominance. Chironomid-inferred paleotemperature reconstructions revealed that at both Brier Island Bog Lake and Splan Pond, summer surface-water temperatures dropped abruptly to between 13 and 17°C during the 10–11 ka interval, suggesting that a cooler climate was present in Atlantic Canada correlative with the European Younger Dryas. Diatom assemblage changes during the same period corroborate the occurrence of limnological fluctuations.