Bio-Diversification in the Courtenay Bay Tidal Marsh

Executive Summary
The Atlantic Coastal Action program (ACAP) Saint John envisions the urban Marsh Creek watershed in
Saint John, New Brunswick as the foundation of a world-class example of sustainable development.
Specifically, the Marsh Creek Restoration Initiative (MCRI) proposes that with the pending (2013) cessation
of untreated wastewater deposition in Marsh Creek, that three enhancements could be incorporated to
provide social, economic and environmental benefits to future generations.
The objectives of this study were to expand our understanding of the environmental attributes of Courtenay
Bay, the tidal marsh and estuary of the Marsh Creek watershed. Field studies were conducted to ascertain the
occurrence of diadromous fishes and migratory birds within the watershed.
This project found that despite a diversity and abundance of aquatic and brackish habitats, there were no
anadromous fishes in Marsh Creek upstream of the tide gates on the Courtenay causeway, whereas American
eels were found to be ubiquitous throughout all sub-drainages of the watershed. The report did not ascertain
the reason for the lack of anadromous fishes; however, the occurrence of five flapper-style tide gates is
considered a likely contributing factor.
The watershed was found to have lower than expected numbers of migratory shorebirds, however the
diversity of bird species (thirty-five) observed was worthy of note. There were no Species At Risk shorebirds
observed, but Bald eagles (a confirmed Species At Risk) were observed. The Courtenay Bay forebay’s
Provincially Significant Wetland was confirmed as breeding habitat for ducks and geese. Black and Mallard
ducks were widespread throughout all areas with many overwintering in open water areas. While this project
found that the area is currently not a likely significant contributor to the stocks migratory birds, the urban
centric location coupled with the diversity in species composition could support eco-tourism in conjunction
with the growing internationally-originating cruise ship industry.