Getting our hands dirty for answers

Going off the beaten path is all part of a days work when you research intertidal mudflats. Here we are about ankle deep in thick sticky mud on the intertidal shore along the Bay of Fundy. This is a typical field excursion where we collect our samples about 30 ft from a nearby road. We always get our hands dirty and might take some tumbles in the mud to get to our sites. At the site we collect important samples of sediment, invertebrates for community analysis, and seawater. All of these variables come together to help paint a clearer picture of community composition and relationships within these off-road environments. We always have a sticky situation on field days, but our team still manages to be accurate and consistent despite these challenges.