The relationship between sediment texture, micro-organisms (diatom and Foraminifera), water depth and current to 100m along the Victoria Land coast from Trip Island to Cape Armitage, McMurdo Sound

Seafloor sediment samples were taken from shore normal transects at seven sites on the southwestern Ross Sea coast (Explorers Cove, Cape Bernacchi, Cape Roberts, Tripp Island, Gergory Island, Dunlop Island and Blue Glacier) and from Cape Armitage, Ross Island.

The transects represent a range of coastal types (exposed to embayed) with a variety of substrates including bedrock, gravel, sand, mud and sponge mat. At each site, a bathymetry survey was carried out to determine slope and topography of the sea floor, transects of the sea floor were sampled for sediment and biota to 100 m water depth and the ocean current was measured at each site. Samples were photographed, described and split for preserving an archive specimen and for foraminiferal work and grain size analysis.