The Atlantic Coast (EPUB) von Harry Thurston

The North Atlantic coast of North America—commonly known as the Atlantic Coast—extends from Newfoundland and Labrador through the Maritime Provinces and the Northeastern United States south to Cape Hatteras. This North Atlantic region belongs to the sea. The maritime influence on climate, flora, and fauna is dominant — even far inland. Both on land and at sea, this region is where north meets south, where the great northern boreal forests intermingle with the southern coniferous-hardwood forests, and where the icy Labrador Current and the tropical Gulf Stream vie for supremacy and eventually mix.The Atlantic Coast draws upon the best and most up-to-date science on the ecology of the region as well as the author’s lifetime experience as a resident, biologist, and naturalist. The book explores the geological origins of the region, the two major forest realms, and the main freshwater and marine ecosystems, and describes the flora and fauna that characterize each habitat. It ends with a look at what has been lost and how the remaining natural heritage of the region might be conserved for the future.

Preface 1

1 The Atlantic Realm 7
Where North Meets South

2 Oceans and Mountains 39
The Geology and Paleontology of the Atlantic Coast

3 The Atlantic Hinterland 77
Forests of the Atlantic Coast

4 Between the Capes 117
The Mid-Atlantic Bight

5 Tides of Life 153
The Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Fundy

6 River into the Sea 199
The Gulf of St. Lawrence

7 Great Currents and Grand Banks 235
Newfoundland and Labrador

8 The Altered Realm 277
The Once and Future Atlantic

Photographer’s Acknowledgments 304

Further Reading 305

Scientific Names 311

Index 36


Panel of expert reviewers:
Dr. Graham Daborn
Founder
Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research
Acadia University
Wolfville, Nova Scotia

Dr. David Garbary
Professor of Biology and Co-ordinator--Interdisciplinary Studies in Aquatic Resources
St. Francis Xavier University
Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Brian Harrington, Senior Shorebird Biologist
Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences
Manomet, Massachusetts

Dr. Peter Larsen
Senior Research Scientist
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
West Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Dr. Donald F. McAlpine
Chair, Department of Natural Science
Head, Zoology Section
New Brunswick Museum Saint John, N.B.

Dr. Paul E. Olsen
Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University
Palisades, New York

Dr. George Rose
Head, Fisheries Conservation
Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, Newfoundland

Dr. Boris Worm
Assistant Professor
& Head, The Worm Lab for Marine Conservation
Department of Biology
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia