flats as stopover sites prior to their fall migrations to overwintering grounds in South 

 America (Hicklin, 1987). Benthic invertebrates provide a major portion of the food 

 resources needed to make these nonstop flights (Schneider and Harrington, 1981; 

 Matthews, Boates, and Walde, 1992). The amphipod Corophium volutator in particular, 

 has been found to be an important food source (Peer, Linkletter, and Hicklin, 1986). 

 Intertidal infauna such as Nereis virens also provide forage for resident shorebirds such as 

 herring and black-backed gulls (Ambrose, 1986). Intertidal flats also provide habitat for 

 commercial soft-clam (Mya arenaria) and bait-worm ( Nereis virens and Glycera 

 dibranchiata ) fisheries. Commercial fisheries statistics available on-line through the Maine 

 Department of Marine Resources website* indicate that between 1989 and 1997 an average 

 of 2 million lbs. of soft-clams were landed annually with an estimated value of $7.6 

 million/year. Clam-worm, R virens , landings averaged 381,000 lbs. /year between 1989 

 and 1996 representing a value of just under one million dollars/year while blood- worm ( G. 

 dibranchiata ) landings averaging 452,000 lbs. /year were valued at $2.3 million/year. 

 Together these resources represent nearly 12 million dollars in income each year. 



To explore the potential for beneficial use of dredged material in constructing 

 muddy intertidal flat habitat, approximately 74,500 cubic meters (100,000 cubic yards) of 

 dredged material resulting from breakwater construction and channel dredging in Sawyers 

 Cove, Jonesport, Maine (Washington County), were deposited on Sheep Island (Figure 1- 

 1). Sediments were placed in a shallow, circular basin (365 m diameter) surrounded by 

 rocky ledges on the leeward side of the island (Figure 1-2; Figure 1-3). In addition, 

 bedrock ledge material resulting from breakwater construction was placed along the 

 periphery of the site to help contain the dredged materials. Placement was initiated in 

 January 1988, interrupted in March 1988 for an environmental dredging window, and 

 finally completed in January 1989 (Fleming et al., 1991). The project resulted in creation 

 of 1.2 hectares (3 acres) of intertidal flat habitat. During the course of the study a second 

 site adjacent to Beals Island was identified as a mud flat resulting from intertidal disposal 

 of dredged material disposal in the 1960's (Figure 1-4). Previously, Fleming et al. (1991) 

 and Ray et al. (1994a and 1994b) have reported results from monitoring of sediments, soft- 

 clam and bait- worm populations, and infaunal communities at Sheep and Beals Islands 

 between 1990 and 1992. The present report incorporates these results with those from 

 additional sampling efforts conducted in 1993, 1994, and 1998. 



' www. state. me. us/dmr/Comfish. comsfish.htm 



Ecological Monitoring of a Constructed Intertidal Flat at Jonesport, Maine 



