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An important ecological issue is developing an understanding of how patterns and processes vary with scale. We designed a field experiment to test how differences in the aerial extent of disturbance affected macrofaunal recolonization on a sandflat. Three different plot sizes (0.203 $m²$, 0.81 $m²$, and 3.24 $m²$) were dafaunted, and samples were collected to assess recovery over a 9—mo period. As the sandflat used for the experiment was prone to disturbance by wind—driven waves, we also measured changes in sediment bed height (an indicator of sediment stability) over the course of the experiment. Most common species revealed significant relationships between density and disturbance plot size. Scale—dependent recovery was also demonstrated by differences in species assemblage structure over the course of the experiment. Relative rates of colonization varied by $\approx$50% between large and …