42 



NMDS of the Beals Island data produced a result similar to that found at Sheep 

 Island. There was a small but persistent difference in taxonomic composition of the 

 assemblages (Figure 3-24). As might be expected, SIMPER results corresponded closely 

 with patterns detected in comparisons of the relative abundances (Table 3-19). Tubificoides 

 benedini, the overall dominant, contributed greatly to dissimilarity and was found in 

 highest abundance at the reference site. Capitella sp. and Exogene hebes also contributed 

 substantially to structural differences between assemblages and were most abundant at the 

 reference site. Other taxa with high abundances at the constructed site included Tectadrilus 

 gabriella and A. vadorum . Exogene verugera and Fabricia sabella both contributed to 

 dissimilarity, but only during a single sample period (1992 and 1994 respectively). As at 

 Sheep Island, the results of the Beals Island taxonomic composition analyses indicated the 

 assemblages were composed of basically the same suite of taxa but in relatively different 

 proportions. These differences persisted over time for the most abundant taxa, but varied 

 between years for the less abundant forms. 



Ecological Monitoring of a Constructed Intertidal Flat at Jonesport, Maine 



