Comparison of Oiled and Unoiled Intertidal Communities in Chedabucto Bay, Nova Scotia

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Abstract
During 1976, detailed surveys of four oiled and four unoiled control stations, each subdivided into seven standardized intertidal levels, were carried out in Chedabucto Bay. Seventy-one species were found, 14 unique to control and 9 to oiled locations. Species diversity was uniformly higher at control than oiled stations. No differences in horizontal zonation of major species were apparent. Analysis of abundance and biomass data for the eight stations and seven tidal levels showed a significant overall difference between oiled and control situations. However, no particular station or tidal level was significantly different from any other. Ten species accounted for most of the variance between oiled and control stations. Six of these were more important at controls and four more important at oiled stations. The flora were particularly affected at oiled stations and species dominant on both sedimentary and rocky shores at all but the lowest tidal levels have been reduced. Length and weight data for the clam Mya arenaria showed significantly lower values at oiled stations, but that for the periwinkle Littorina littorea showed the opposite. The length–weight relationship for both of these species showed a significantly lower increase in weight per unit of length at oiled than at control stations. Oiled stations showed significantly greater concentrations of oil in biota and sediments than unoiled, where concentrations were essentially at background levels. Key words: hydrocarbon, intertidal community, petroleum, pollution, sediment

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