Supershrimp: Deep Bioturbation in the Strait of Canso, Nova Scotia

Abstract

Axius serratus, a crustacean thought to be extremely rare, was discovered in large numbers in polluted regions of the Strait of Canso. The shrimp may live deeper than 3 meters in the sediment; burrows are kept open to at least 2.5 meters. Sediment contained in old filled burrows is anomalous in its distribution of particle size and its content of water, organic carbon, and trace elements. These anomalous qualitites affect the geotechnical properties of sediments on the sea floor.