Affiliation:
1. Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5, Canada
Abstract
In February 2023, a severe cold snap took place in Atlantic Canada and was followed by the mass loss of mussels at mid-to-high intertidal elevations on the southeastern Nova Scotia coast. This loss was concerning because mussels sustain upper trophic levels in coastal food webs and because mussel stands enhance local biodiversity by sheltering many small invertebrate species. Using photographs taken in the second summer after that cold snap (July 2024), this article provides visual evidence of active ongoing recolonization of intertidal mussels on this coast, including the incipient formation of new stands. These are encouraging signs of ecological resilience. Reaching historical values of abundance will likely depend on the future occurrence of weather extremes, which are becoming more frequent with the ongoing climate change.
Funder
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Reference20 articles.
1. Mass disappearance of intertidal mussels after an unusual winter cold snap in eastern Canada;Cameron;Ecology,2023
2. Warming amplification over the Arctic Pole and Third Pole: Trends, mechanisms, and consequences;You;Earth Sci. Rev.,2021
3. Armstrong, L. (2024, August 12). Growers Say It’ll Be Years before N.S. Vineyards Recover from ‘Devastating’ Cold Snap. Available online: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/02/10/recent-extreme-cold-snap-causes-devastating-damage-to-nova-scotia-vineyards.html.
4. The Canadian Press (2024, July 30). Eastern Canada Cold Snap Ends, but Thousands in N.S. and N.B. Still without Power. Available online: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/02/05/eastern-canada-cold-snap-ends-but-thousands-in-ns-and-nb-still-without-power.html.
5. Scrosati, R.A., and Cameron, N.M. (2023). Mass bleaching in intertidal canopy-forming seaweeds after unusually low winter air temperatures in Atlantic Canada. Diversity, 15.