Current and recent research

Tree research

• St. Mary’s University, N.S. Department of Natural Resources, local Joggins residents, and Victoria General Hospital (Halifax), are using medical technology (CT scanning) to understand how bones become fossilised within, and are distributed throughout, the fossil trees of Joggins.
• N.S. Department of Natural Resources (and others) are studying the fauna found preserved within the hollow trees.

Sedimentological research

Dalhousie University and colleagues at other institutions are studying the influence of vegetation (upright trees and logs) on the ancient river systemd preserved in the Joggins Fossil Cliffs.

Biological research

Mount Allison University and colleagues at other institutions are studying:

• migration of semi-palmated sandpipers in the Bay of Fundy, specifically in the Cumberland Basin
• the invasion of green crabs in the Bay of Fundy, with a study location at Joggins

Microfossil evolution

Joggins Fossil Institute and Mount Allison University have partnered on studying the evolution of microfossils at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs. More on recent the paper on ostracods.

• Limestone provenance — JFI and Acadia University have partnered on research into the limestones of the Classic Section of the Cliffs.
• Dendrochronology — the Mount Allison Dendrochronology Group has conducted research on dating the wood in the cliffs from the mines in order to get a more accurate date of when the first mines were built.
• LiDAR scanning of the cliff face – COGS and Dalhousie University, in partnership with the JFI, are using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging: an optical remote sensing technology that measures properties of scattered light to find range and/or other information of a distant target) to scan the cliff face in order to monitor erosion of the cliffs. This has implications for management of the property and for monitoring exposure and erosion of fossils.
• Trace fossils
  • Taxonomy — St. Mary’s University
  • Ichnology and depositional environments — Natural Resources Canada, St. Mary's University, and Dalhousie are collaborating to build a more complete documentation of trace fossils from the Joggins Cliffs. In addition to trackways, burrows constructed by soft-bodied animals will be used to delineate more specific environmental settings, especially the cyclic shifting between brackish and nonmarine deposition.