Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region
Tags: sedimentology, paleoecology, fossil coral reefs, reef ecosystems
| Principal Investigator: | Edinger, Evan N (3) |
| Licence Number: | 13106 |
| Organization: | Laurentian University |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2001
2000
|
| Issued: | Apr 25, 2000 |
| Project Team: | self |
Objective(s): The Devonian patch reefs of Mercy Bay, Banks Island are important as an example of fossil coral reefs that grew in a siliciclastic environment on a broad continental shelf. These reefs may also be able to provide insight into the nature of a reef ecosystem immediately before a time of global reef collapse. These reefs have been described qualiatively (Thorsteinson and Tozer, 1962; Embry and Klovan, 1971), but have not been studied using modern paleoecological methods. The current study will re-examine the detailed structure, sedimentology and paleoecology of these reefs. The structure and composition of the Mercy Bay reefs will be compared with the Middle Devonian reefs in the Princess Royal Islands and the adjacent western shore of Victoria Island, Middle devonian reefs of southern Canada and modern reefs of siliciclastic shelves.
Project Description: The Devonian patch reefs of Mercy Bay, Banks Island are important as an example of fossil coral reefs that may also be able to provide insight into the nature of a reef ecosystem immediately before a time of global reef collapse. The researcher will fly to the Parks Canada cabin at Mercy Bay and will use a helicopter to travel to 5 camps and stay at each fly camp for a period of 2 days. Equipment to be used include rock hammers, chisels and measuring tapes. Sampling methods include collecting 30 to 40 rock samples per fly camp as well as quantitative data. The structure and composition of the Mercy Bay reefs will be compared with those of modern reefs in siliciclastic shelves and with Middle Devonian reefs of southern Canada.
