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| Miramichi Bay | |
|---|---|
 Escuminac Wharf, Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick (IR Walker 1976) | |
  Miramichi Bay  Miramichi Bay | |
 Miramichi Bay | |
| Location | New Brunswick,Canada |
| Type | Estuary |
| Part of | Gulf of St. Lawrence |
| Islands | Portage Island |
Miramichi Bay is anestuary located on the west coast of theGulf of St. Lawrence inNew Brunswick, at the mouth of theMiramichi River.[1] Miramichi Bay is separated into the "inner bay" and the "outer bay", with the division being a line of uninhabitedbarrier islands which are continually reshaped by ocean storms. The largest of these islands is the uninhabited Portage Island, which was broken in two during a violent storm in the 1950s.[2] The islands provide some protection to the inner bay from ocean storms in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.[citation needed]
Miramichi Bay is one of the largest bays along the northeastern coast ofNew Brunswick, Canada. TheMaritime Plain, an area of low-relief extending fromChaleur Bay southward toCape George, surrounds it.[3] The Bay is a triangular shape, and approximately 45 km along the north and south coasts, and 32 km along the seaward end, making its surface area greater than 300 km2.[3]
Miramichi Bay was namedGolfe Saint Lunaire byJacques Cartier in 1534.
The Inner Miramichi Bay, and the lower portions of its tributary rivers (including the Miramichi River), are parts of adrowned river valley system. Sincedeglaciation,sea level rise in Miramichi Bay has flooded the mouths of these rivers withsaltwater. The flooded, meandering, ancient Miramichi river channel forms a navigable route through the Inner Bay for ocean-going ships entering the port atMiramichi (formerly the ports ofChatham andNewcastle). The inner bay measures only 4 m deep on average, with the navigation channel measuring only 6–10 m. Sincedredging maintenance of this channel has stopped, the port is now only accessible to ships with a shallow draft.
The estuary is a highly dynamic environment, subject to high freshwater outflows during the springfreshet, low outflow and rising saltwater content during the summer period, fall ocean storms andnor'easters which reshape the barrier islands and the old river channel, and wintersea ice which encases the entire estuary. The shallow inner bay warms rapidly during summer. Thediurnal tide cycle ranges only 1 m on average. Continued sea level rise is very slowly inundating adjacent low-lying areas and promoting rapid erosion of the low sandstone cliffs bordering the bay.
The estuary is significant in that it is a highly productive ecosystem, despite its relatively small size. The estuary receives the freshwater discharge from the Miramichi River and its tributaries, giving local waters somewhat lower salinity. Organic materials from the surrounding shorelines and inflowing rivers contribute, together with the warm water, to the bay's high productivity.
Observations of the changes insediment texture andforaminiferal andmolluscan assemblages in studies have shown the development of abarrier island system that developed during the last 4400 to 3600 years.[4]
Recreational uses in Miramichi Bay includewindsurfing,boating,kayaking[2] as well as fresh and salt waterfishing.Birdwatching is also common near Miramichi Bay because of the scenic views and habitat friendly area for many varieties of migrating birds.[5]
Theclimate of Miramichi Bay is constituted ascontinental. As air mass moves from west to east from the Pacific to the Atlantic we see an average annual air temperature around 4.3 degrees Celsius. Precipitation is regular in this area, averaging about 160 days within the year and totaling around 995 mm. Water temperatures reach a maximum of 22 degrees Celsius during July and August, and freezing during November to December.[6]
Marine life includesharbour seals,herring gulls, thecommon tern (pictars to use the old Scottish word), thegreat blue heron (commonly called "crane" in the Miramichi), thecommon loon, andcormorants (called "black shag" locally), withkingfishers,plovers,snipe andkilldeer along the shore. Fish living within the estuary that may commonly be fished for recreation also includecod,eel,striped bass,Atlantic salmon, andbrook trout. Along the inner bay you may commonly find juvenile and adult lobster, and in the outer bay you will find crab, who are restricted to the deeper water.[7]
