![](media/image1.png){width="1.75in" height="0.6416666666666667in"}

Archival Policies and Collections Database for the Woods Hole Science
Center\'s Marine Sediment Samples, version 1.0

By Brian J. Buczkowski and Sarah A. Kelsey

Report Series 2006--1187

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Department of the Interior

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Mark D. Myers, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia 2007

For product and ordering information:\
World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod\
Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

For more information on the USGS---the Federal source for science about
the Earth\
its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment:\
World Wide Web: [http://www.usgs.gov](http://www.usgs.gov/)\
Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

Suggested citation:\
Buczkowski, B.J., and Kelsey, S.A., 2007, Archival Policies and
Collections Database for the Woods Hole Science Center\'s Marine
Sediment Samples: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1187,
version 1.0.

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes
only and does not imply\
endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured
from the individual\
copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within
this report.

Contents

[Abstract 1](#abstract)

[Introduction 2](#introduction)

[Sample Acquisition & Registration 2](#sample-acquisition-registration)

[Incoming Samples 2](#incoming-samples)

[Reserving Storage Space 2](#reserving-storage-space)

[Preliminary Inventorying 2](#preliminary-inventorying)

[Archiving Metadata 3](#archiving-metadata)

[Sample Storage 3](#sample-storage)

[The Facilities 3](#the-facilities)

[Storage Concerns 3](#storage-concerns)

[Conditions of Storage 4](#conditions-of-storage)

[Storage Duration 4](#storage-duration)

[Sharing Samples 4](#sharing-samples)

[The Loaning Process 4](#the-loaning-process)

[Conditions of the Loan 4](#conditions-of-the-loan)

[Sample Return Policy 5](#sample-return-policy)

[The Chain of Custody 5](#the-chain-of-custody)

[Deaccession & Disposal 5](#deaccession-disposal)

[Deaccession Preliminaries 5](#deaccession-preliminaries)

[Decision Making and the Committee
6](#decision-making-and-the-committee)

[Deaccession Criteria 6](#deaccession-criteria)

[Announcement 6](#announcement)

[Sample Disposition 6](#sample-disposition)

[Database 7](#database)

[Data Fields 7](#data-fields)

[Data Catalog 7](#data-catalog)

[Data Files 8](#data-files)

[Glossary of Terms 9](#glossary-of-terms)

[References Cited 10](#references-cited)

[Other Helpful References 10](#other-helpful-references)

[Contacts 11](#contacts)

[Acknowledgements 11](#acknowledgements)

[Appendices 12](#appendices)

Archival Policies and Collections Database for the Woods Hole Science
Center\'s Marine Sediment Samples, version 1.0

By Brian J. Buczkowski and Sarah A. Kelsey

# Abstract ![](media/image2.jpeg){width="3.75in" height="2.457638888888889in"}

The Woods Hole Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has
been an active member of the Woods Hole research community, Woods Hole,
Massachusetts, for over 40 years. In that time there have been many
projects that involved the collection of sediment samples conducted by
USGS scientists and technicians for the research and study of seabed
environments and processes. These samples were collected at sea or near
shore and then brought back to the Woods Hole Science Center (WHSC) for
analysis. While at the center, samples are stored in ambient
temperature, refrigerated and freezing conditions ranging from +2º
Celsius to --18º Celsius, depending on the best mode of preparation for
the study being conducted or the duration of storage planned for the
samples. Recently, storage methods and available storage space have
become a major concern at the WHSC. The core and sediment archive
program described herein has been initiated to set standards for the
management, methods, and duration of sample storage.

A need has arisen to maintain organizational consistency and define
storage protocol. This handbook serves as a reference and guide to all
parties interested in using and accessing the WHSC\'s sample archive and
also defines all the steps necessary to construct and maintain an
organized collection of geological samples. It answers many questions as
to the way in which the archive functions.

# Introduction

This report details the policies and procedures implemented for the USGS
Woods Hole Science Center\'s (WHSC) sediment sample archive over the
past four years. It was created in an effort to define the methods of
curation whereby staff, scientists and administrators are guided. This
handbook establishes accountability for the samples in the WHSC\'s care
(Neal and others, 1994).

Development of collections management policies and the maintenance of
this document are the responsibility of the curator, with significant
assistance from members of the WHSC. The Team Chief Scientist must
approve all collections management policies. These policies are subject
to comprehensive official reviews to remain compliant with federally
recommended practices.

However, recommendations for changes or additions may be submitted at
any time to the curator and, upon approval by the Team Chief Scientist,
the policies will be revised and updated.

This guide defines the steps necessary to construct and maintain an
organized sample archive. It attempts to answer frequent questions
regarding archival policy and methodology used in the USGS WHSC.
Suggestions for improvement are always welcome, and contact information
is provided for the authors.

# Sample Acquisition & Registration

## Incoming Samples

One of the WHSC\'s primary methods of obtaining field data is through
the collection of sediment samples. This is accomplished by the use of
corers, grabs, dredges and other devices designed for the purpose of
seabed sampling.

Once the samples have been collected, it is essential to preserve their
physical integrity. The facilities in the WHSC sediment archives provide
conditions that impede the growth of organics as well as preserve the
samples in the physical state in which they were collected.

## Reserving Storage Space

It is the responsibility of the project scientist to ensure that there
is ample storage space to accommodate the incoming samples before
collection commences.

The Principal Investigator (PI) should contact the curator to inform him
that they will be collecting samples at least two weeks before the field
work begins. The scientist should also give the curator an approximate
number of samples to be recovered and what type of storage will be
required. The curator will then make appropriate arrangements to house
the incoming samples.

During this two-week time period, the curator will reserve space for the
new samples and notify the project scientist where their samples will be
stored upon return.

## Preliminary Inventorying

After the field activity has been completed and the samples have been
placed in storage, the curator will inventory the samples collected and
log this inventory into the sediment archive database. Preliminary
inventories shall include: sample number, field activity number,
platform, positional data, navigational method, Principal Investigator
(PI), storage location, and date of accession.

## Archiving Metadata

Within one month from the date of storage, the collecting scientist must
submit pertinent metadata relating to the collection and condition of
the samples to the curator for addition into the sediment archive
database.

Submission of data can be made in various ways. The recommended method
is for researching parties to send field data electronically directly to
the curator promptly after returning from the field. Spreadsheets can be
sent, and a Microsoft Excel template is available from the WHSC\'s
archive Web page, as well as included in this report. The data submitted
in this form will be sent to the curator for addition to the preliminary
inventory. These data will then be made available online to all parties
for inquiry and accession of the physical samples through the center\'s
internal archive Web site.

# Sample Storage

## The Facilities

The sample storage facility consists of two refrigerated vans (RE), each
maintaining a temperature of +2º Celsius, one freezer van (FR) which
maintains a temperature of --18º Celsius, and one ambient temperature
laboratory van (LV) to house all dried samples[^1]. These vans located
adjacent to the USGS WHSC buildings are designed to exclude the external
environment, as fluctuations in air temperature and humidity can degrade
the viability of the samples for geochemical and geophysical properties
research, as well as promote organic growth (Bachmann and Rushfield,
1992). The vans in the Freezer Farm have been designated RE01, RE02,
FR01 and LV01, respectively. Samples stored at the WHSC\'s Marine
Operations Facility are designated MOF.

## Storage Concerns![](media/image3.jpeg){width="2.3743055555555554in" height="2.204861111111111in"}

Next to the main entrance within each van is a schematic map designating
storage sections into which the van has been divided (01 through however
many units are present). These sections contain shelving units, four
shelves high (01 through 04, starting from the bottom upward).

These identifiers are combined to form a storage identification number,
locally referred to as the *Bucky Decimal System*. An example is as
follows:

![](media/image4.jpeg){width="2.2916666666666665in" height="0.5in"}

This number identifies the location of the sample to reside in
refrigerated van number **01**, section **02** of that van, and shelf
number **03** within section **02**.

Samples are stored in durable plastic milk crates and are labeled with
an identification tag denoting the samples contained therein as well as
collection information and a storage identification number. These labels
are placed in protective plastic sleeves, which are attached to each
milk crate.

## Conditions of Storage 

Overcrowding is a major concern in any archive, especially if both space
and budgets are tight. It is the job of any curator to maintain order
and ease of access in their archives. Part of accomplishing this task in
a limited scientific storage facility involves prioritizing samples
according to date collected and relevance to further research. To avoid
consuming needed room occupied by samples that have outlived their
immediate scientific usefulness and to maintain ample space for incoming
samples, it is necessary to create and implement a "rotating stock"
policy.

Samples will be assigned a finite shelf life, one that gives ample time
to conduct all pertinent analyses but also limits the amount of time in
which the samples occupy storage space, thereby ensuring room for newly
acquired samples. If the samples are deemed viable and in good
condition, they will be transported to the USGS Marine Operations
Facility (MOF) for long-term storage.

## Storage Duration 

Since the average length for a typical project is approximately five
years, it is necessary that sediment samples be retained at the WHSC for
a minimum of five years.

It is also the duty of the USGS to make data and samples available to
the public for research. It would be appropriate to announce publicly
that a project has been completed and these samples are available for
study to interested parties. Methods of announcing available samples
will be through data releases, announcements on the WHSC\'s Web site and
through emails to USGS researchers and other institutions such as, but
not limited to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), and WHOI. This
five year period will then be extended by an additional two years to
accommodate outside parties wishing to access them.

One-year extensions to the retention period may be applied for with
descriptive reasons for keeping samples longer. The curator and a
collections committee will then review this extension application.

These extensions may be applied for up to three times, thereby giving
any sample a maximum shelf life of ten years. After that time period,
mandatory deaccessioning procedures will occur.

# Sharing Samples 

## The Loaning Process

All loan requests shall be directed to the curator. The curator will
check the availability of the samples and confer with the collecting
scientist regarding the sample\'s status and availability.

If the sample is available for loan, the borrower, the responsible
scientist, and the curator shall sign a Sample Loan Agreement form,
acknowledging conditions of the loans. A copy of the Loan Conditions
will be provided to the borrower for their own records.

## Conditions of the Loan

The borrowing party will be subject to the following conditions:

-   **Term of Loan**: The samples shall be returned to the Woods Hole
    Science Center at the borrower\'s expense no later than the due date
    agreed upon and stated on the Loan Agreement or within one week
    after an earlier return is requested by the WHSC.

-   **Use of Property**: The samples loaned shall be used for research
    and data extraction purposes. The borrower shall not loan, deliver,
    lease, or transfer the samples to any other institution, and the
    borrower shall clearly state that the sample belongs to the USGS
    Woods Hole Science Center sediment archive.

-   **Alteration of Sample**: The borrower is responsible for notifying
    the WHSC of all tests and any alterations done to the sample while
    in the borrowers\' care.

-   **Loss or Damage**: It is recognized that analyses are generally
    destructive in nature. However, if the borrower intends to return
    the sample, the borrower shall be responsible to report any damage
    or loss of sediment due to any cause.

## Sample Return Policy

Upon return of the sediment sample to the WHSC, the borrowing
institution and the curator will sign the Outgoing Loan Agreement Form
and the date of return shall be marked.

## The Chain of Custody 

Outside institutions shall be allowed to come into the USGS sediment
archive to retrieve portions of samples for research. All requests shall
be directed to the curator and the curator will check the availability
of the requested sediment for sampling.

Upon arrival, the curator will have prepared a Chain of Custody form.
This form will include the following information:

1.  Researcher and affiliation

2.  Date of sampling from WHSC Archives

3.  Amount of sample taken

4.  Locations of taken samples on core

The curator as well as the principal investigator from the outside
institution sampling the core will then sign the Chain of Custody form.
All alterations and samplings will then be recorded in the sediment
archive database.

# Deaccession & Disposal

## Deaccession Preliminaries

Before deaccessionary procedures can even begin, an annual review of the
entire archive must take place. This review will determine which, if
any, samples are eligible for removal. Samples which have remained in
storage for the prescribed seven-year term will be added to a list of
samples eligible for deaccession.

Also added to the list are any samples deemed unsuitable for further
study due to lack of physical integrity from absence or loss of sample
information or deterioration beyond usefulness for adequate scientific
examination.

Once a sample has been determined to be eligible for disposition, it can
be removed only through proper completion of the deaccession process.

## Decision Making and the Committee

Samples in the WHSC\'s sediment archive eligible for deaccession will be
recommended by the curator to an annual collections committee consisting
of the curator, Principal Investigator, and any parties interested in
the future of the samples in question, who will then decide the final
fate of the samples. This decision in turn will be presented to the
WHSC\'s Team Chief Scientist for final approval.

## Deaccession Criteria

To be considered for deaccession, a sample must meet at least one of the
following criteria:

-   **Poor Condition**: The sample has deteriorated or been damaged
    beyond any useful value for further scientific study. Condition also
    applies to adequate documentation of the sample. Sediment samples of
    unknown origin are scientifically useless.

-   **Storage Limitations**: The Archive is not able to provide ample
    storage space for samples collected up to more than ten years with
    storage extensions. Samples that have exceeded this time will be
    disposed of.

-   **Duplication**: The sample is a duplicate of another sample
    currently stored in the archive (i.e. working and archive halves).

## Announcement

Upon consensus by the Principal Investigator and curator, with the
approval from the Team Chief Scientist, a list of all samples to be
deaccessioned will be made available to Center scientists and to the
public.

This announcement will take the form of both internal and external
emails. Messages will be sent to all research staff within the WHSC and
USGS as well as interested institutions such as IODP, NOAA, WHOI and
universities to which these samples may prove useful.

After the announcement has gone out, there will be a one-month waiting
period during which requests for sample acquisition will be processed.

## Sample Disposition

The condition and status of the samples will be assessed and proposed
for deaccession from this, final disposition will be determined. If the
samples proposed for deaccession are in such a state that they are
deemed unusable for further study due to natural deterioration or
through extensive research conducted on the sample thereby destroying
its integrity, the sample will be subject to appropriate disposal.

If the samples appropriate for disposal are deemed appropriate for
preservation or prove valuable for long-term storage, the samples shall
be referred to the approved collections committee alternate which may
investigate local alternate storage options.

Another alternative would be to contact collaborating institutions
involved with the collection of the samples to inquire whether their
institution would find the samples useful to any ancillary research.

Geochemical samples may contain heavy metals, poisonous chemicals or
other hazardous pollutants. The curator, in conjunction with the
samples\' Principal Investigator will determine any special needs the
disposal will require, and consult the WHSC\'s safety officer to
determine the appropriate course of action.

The Deaccession Recommendation form and records of all disposition
actions will be retained permanently in the archive database. The
curator will provide an annual report on all deaccession actions and
place it on file at the end of the fiscal year.

# Database 

A Web-accessible database has been created to store metadata pertaining
to the samples collected by WHSC scientists and researchers. This
database contains information relating to the collection process,
location information, research interests, and storage notes for each
sample entry.

The sample database was originally constructed using Microsoft Access
and is continuously maintained and updated using information derived
from the WHSC\'s Data Library\'s field activity database and data sets
provided by the Principal Investigators. The database and its associated
shapefile can be accessed in the Data Catalog section of this report as
a Microsoft Excel workbook. The currentness of the data in this
publication is provided in the database metadata file.

The database is also accessible online and is available at the USGS
Woods Hole Science Center\'s Ocean Floor Samples access page. This
webpage allows for text-based searching of the archive database, and
provides links to the field activity pages and cruise metadata.
Inquiries may be directed to the curator, Brian Buczkowski
(bbuczkowski@usgs.gov).

## Data Fields

The data fields described here contain recommended metadata topics, as
chosen by WHSC scientists, as well as agreed parameters decided upon by
the Curators of Marine and Lacustrine Geological Samples group from
standard presented data. Attributes and their definitions are shown in
Table 1.

Blank cells in the database entries indicate information that is either
unavailable, due to no data, or to preserve the proprietary nature of
the samples as research is currently being conducted on them..

# Data Catalog 

The data supplied on this CD-ROM are made available with geographic
coordinates to allow the data to be incorporated into a Geographic
Information System (GIS). The data layers along with additional base map
layers have been compiled into an Environmental Systems Research
Institute (ESRI) project file (***Sed_Archive.apr***), which is located
at the top-level directory of this publication. The project file serves
to provide an example of how the data can be displayed in a GIS. A
variety of basemap layers that can be used to accompany these data can
be found on the Coastal and Marine Geology Program\'s Internet Map
Server. Several have been included below and are used in the project
file.

The project ***Sed_Archive.apr*** is setup to \"hotlink\" to online
descriptions of the samples in the WHSC\'s archives. The EvokeBrowser
extension provided by Flat World Technologies must be loaded for this to
work. This extension will be loaded by default within the project file.

For those who do not have the ESRI software or a compatible GIS data
browser available on their computer, a free viewer, ArcExplorer^TM^, is
available from ESRI. The ArcExplorer^TM^ software is available for both
Microsoft Windows and Mac OSX operating systems.

Clicking on the layer name under the column header \"Data Layer Name &
Description\" in the table below will open a new window with a graphical
representation of that layer. Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)
metadata are included with data layers in three formats in the table
below: (HTML, FAQ, and text).![](media/image5.jpeg){width="3.8125in"
height="2.6770833333333335in"}

A downloadable zip archive file containing the elements that comprise
the ESRI shapefile for each data layer is also provided. Each zip file
includes:

1.  ESRI shapefile for each layer (with associated files)

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
5.  Comma-delimited text version of the data file

6.  All three standard versions of the metadata

7.  Browse graphic of the data layer

The zip files were created using WinZip v. 8.1. Users may obtain a free
copy of the software from WinZip. In addition to the *sed_archive* ESRI
shapefile, the archive database is available in Microsoft Excel
workbook, and an ASCII text format as alternate ways to view and examine
the data set. The first record of the ASCII file contains the name of
the data fields for that file.

## Data Files 

The data and basemaps provided below may be entered into a GIS to gain a
visual perspective of the distribution of collection sites, and links to
images and associated data, information and descriptions, where
available.

The Database

  ------------------------------------- ------------ ----------------- --------
  Data Layer Name & Description         Metadata     Files             File
                                                                       Size

  **sed_archive** - The WHSC Sediment   HTML         sed_archive.zip   3.76 MB
  Archive\'s sample database, including                                
  collection metadata, storage                                         
  information and links to relevant                                    
  materials                                                            

                                        FAQ                            

                                        txt                            
  ------------------------------------- ------------ ----------------- --------

Basemap Layers

  ------------------------------------- ------------ ---------------- --------
  Data Layer Name & Description         Metadata     Files            File
                                                                      Size

  **World Continents** - Medium         HTML         continents.zip   1.34 MB
  resolution digital vector shoreline                                 
  for the world continents                                            

                                        FAQ                           

  (Source: ESRI)                        txt                           

  **World Lakes** - Vectorized world    HTML         lakes.zip        199 KB
  lakes                                                               

  (Source: ESRI)                        FAQ                           

                                        txt                           

  **etopo2 Global Bathymetry** - Image  HTML         etopo2.zip       6.82 MB
  representation of etopo2 bathymetry                                 
  (MrSid format)                                                      

                                        FAQ                           

  (Source: NOAA)                        txt                           

  **U.S. EEZ Boundary** - Boundaries of HTML         useez.zip        180 KB
  the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)                                   

                                        FAQ                           

  (Source: NOAA)                        txt                           
  ------------------------------------- ------------ ---------------- --------

# Glossary of Terms 

Many of the following terms and definitions were taken, or modified from
the National Research Council, Committee on the Preservation of
Geoscience Data and Collections (2002). For a more comprehensive listing
of terminology relating to geophysical archives, consulting this
reference is suggested.

**ACCESSION** The process by which a sample is formally entered into a
collection. Accession includes listing the specimen in the collection's
permanent inventory.

**ALTERATIONS** Any changes to the physical integrity of samples due to
purposeful means.

**AMBIENT TEMPERATURE** A term describing the temperature of samples to
be the same as the current atmospheric temperature. The samples are
neither refrigerated, nor frozen. Such samples are usually desiccated
and preserved from rot and other harmful occurrences that freezing and
refrigeration help prevent.

**BUCKY DECIMAL SYSTEM** A location identification number created by the
WHSC's curator to identify the specific location of a sample in storage.
This number is a combination of a cold box identifier, storage unit
identifier and shelf identifier.

**CHAIN OF CUSTODY** A condition where outside researchers may obtain
portions of samples collected by the WHSC for their own use without the
condition of having the samples returned (see **Loan**).

**CORE** A long cylindrical sample of sediment or rock (usually 2 inches
or more in diameter) taken of sediments using gravity corers, piston
corers, or vibracores, or of rock by means of a diamond core drill.

**COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT** A set of policies and protocol relating to
the way and manner in which the collections should be organized and
cared for.

**COLLECTION** A group of objects organized for ready access and study.
Geoscience collections are groupings of individual geoscience items that
may be related by sample type, geographic location, or scientific or
applied interests. Museum collections commonly contain specimens of
local interest or samples that reflect the research interests of
curators of the museum.

**COLLECTIONS COMMITTEE** An organized group of scientists and
technicians who work with samples. This committee meets to decide the
future of samples in the WHSC's sample archive.

**DEACCESSION** The procedure by which a sample is formally and
permanently removed from a collection.

**DESICCATION** The process of dehydration.

**DISPOSITION** The ultimate removal of samples from the collection.
Usually refers to the disposal of samples due to lack of integrity or
exhaustion.

**FIELD ACTIVITY SERIAL NUMBER** A five-digit number assigned to a
specific field activity by the Data Librarian. This number is used to
catalogue field reports, data sets, and physical samples for each
activity.

**GEOSCIENCE(S)** A short term for the collective subdisciplines of the
geological (solid Earth) sciences, including engineering geology,
geobiology, geochemistry, geohydrology, geophysics, sedimentology, and
stratigraphy, among others.

**LOAN** Samples distributed to facilities, institutions and researchers
outside the WHSC with the intent that the samples should be returned
after a set time in a reasonable condition to accommodate future study
by other parties.

**METADATA** Term used to describe a dataset and bring value to the
scientific data represented. Examples include collecting conditions,
instrumentation parameters, location, depth, range, and the names of the
analysts and techniques they employed.

**PLATFORM** Any vessel or rig used to collect samples. A platform can
be ocean-going or terrestrial.

**PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR** The researcher responsible for the collection
of the samples and the research performed on them.

**SAMPLE NUMBER** Any identifier assigned to a specific sample during a
field activity.

**TEAM CHIEF SCIENTIST** The Center Chief, responsible for all final
decisions regarding sample fates.

# References Cited

Bachmann, K. and Rushfield, A.R., 1992, Principles of Storage, *in*
Bachmann, K., ed., 1992, Conservation Concerns - A Guide for Collectors
and Curators: Washington, DC, Smithsonian Institution Press, 160 p.

Folk, R.L., 1954. The distinction between grain size and mineral
composition in sedimentary rock nomenclature: Journal of Geology 62, v.
4, p. 344-359.

Folk, R.L., 1974, The petrology of sedimentary rocks: Austin, TX,
Hemphill Publishing Co., 182 p.

Neal, A., Haglund, K., and Webb, E., 1994, Evolving a Policy Manual, in
Fahy, A., ed., 1994, Collections Management (Leicester Readers in Museum
Studies): New York, Routledge, 304 p.

National Research Council, Committee on the Preservation of Geoscience
Data and Collections, 2002, Geoscience Data and Collections - National
Resources in Peril: Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 107 p.

Perry, K.D., 1980, The Museum Forms Book (3d ed.): Austin, TX, Texas
Association of Museums, 461 p.

Poppe, L.J., Williams, S.J., and Paskevich, V.F., 2005, USGS East-Coast
Sediment Analysis; Procedures, Database, and GIS data: U.S. Geological
Survey Open-File Report 2005-1001, DVD-ROM, supercedes 00-358. Online at
http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/openfile/of2005-1001/index.htm.

## Other Helpful References 

Fox, M.J., Wilkerson, P.L., and Warren, S.R., ed., 1998, Introduction to
Archival Organization and Description: Los Angeles, Getty Research
Institute, 66 p.

Knell, S.J., ed., 1994, Care of Collections (Leicester Readers in Museum
Studies): New York, Routledge, 282 p.

Hopkins, T.L., 1964, A Survey of Marine Bottom Samplers: Progress in
Oceanography, v. 2, p. 213-256.

# Contacts

Feedback on this handbook and database is appreciated, both in
usefulness and error detection. Please use the following contact
information for issues and (or) questions.

Current contact information can be found on the project pages:

USGS Woods Hole Science Center\'s Ocean Floor Samples

(http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/samples.php)

The Information Archives of the USGS Woods Hole Science Center

(http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/operations/ia/index.html)

**Brian Buczkowski**: *for information on archival policy and marine
sample holdings*\
USGS, Woods Hole Science Center\
384 Woods Hole Road\
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598\
Tel: 508-548-8700 ext. 2361\
<bbuczkowski@usgs.gov>

**Adrian Green**: *for information regarding laboratory facilities and
sample data collection*\
USGS, Woods Hole Science Center\
384 Woods Hole Road\
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598\
Tel: 508-548-8700 ext. 2316\
<adriangreen@usgs.gov>

**Nancy Soderberg**: *for information regarding field activities and
data library holdings*\
USGS, Woods Hole Science Center\
384 Woods Hole Road\
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598\
Tel: 508-548-8700 ext. 2275\
<nsoderberg@usgs.gov>

# Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Ellen Mecray and Nancy Soderberg for their
advice, encouragement and assistance in creating this handbook and Tammy
Dickinson for her insight into geophysical samples and their
preservation. We would also like to thank Greg Miller and Valerie
Paskevich for their guidance and hard work in presenting the data online
in both tabular and IMS formats. Thank you to Dann Blackwood for
providing photographs of the sample archives. Special thanks again to
Valerie Paskevich and to VeeAnn Cross for their assistance in the
creation and display of the Archive database in a GIS, as well as
ensuring that proper documentation and metadata are available for the
database. Flat World Technologies provided the free utility,
EvokeBrowser, which was modified to allow the hotlink associated with
the samples to open in the system default browser. Thank you to thank
Donna Newman for her expertise in producing this publication, and for
her patience with the editing and review processes.

This report was prepared under the Information Archives project of the
U.S. Geological Survey\'s (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program
(CMGP).

This report has benefited from critical reviews by Larry Poppe, Nancy
Soderberg, and Jim Robb (all USGS).

# Appendices

**Table 1:** Data Available in the Sediment Archive database:

  ----------------------- --------------------------------------------------------
  ATTRIBUTE               DEFINITION

  serial_no               Five-digit field activity number assigned to the
                          collection cruise by the WHSC\'s Data Librarian.

  alt_cruise_id           Any alternate identifier used to refer to the collection
                          cruise on which the selected sample was taken.

  platform                Ship, or vessel (marine or terrestrial) upon which the
                          sample was collected.

  sample_id               Sample identifier assigned in the field.

  sample_type             Type of sample collected.

  device                  Collection device.

  device_code             Abbreviated code for the collection device.

  top_section             Top of sectioned interval, measured in centimeters from
                          the top of the core sample.

  bottom_section          Bottom of sectioned interval, measured in centimeters
                          from the top of the core sample.

  pri_sed_tex             Primary sediment texture according to the Folk
                          classification scheme (1954, 1974).

  sec_sed_tex             Secondary sediment texture according to the Folk
                          Classification scheme (1954, 1974).

  latitude_dd             Latitude in decimal degrees, for GIS display.

  longitude_dd            Longitude in decimal degrees, for GIS display.

  year_taken              Year of sample collection.

  date                    Date of sample collection.

  time_taken              Time reading when sediment was collected.

  core_l                  Core length, measured in centimeters.

  core_d                  Core barrel diameter, measured in centimeters.

  water_dm                Water depth, measured in meters.

  water_df                Water depth, measured in feet.

  area                    Location of sample collection.

  notes                   Additional information pertaining to the sample.

  fate                    Destination of sample after analyses have taken place.

  pi_name                 Name of scientist in charge of sample collection.

  pi_contact              Email address to contact for sampling information.

  cruise_url              Field activity page on the Woods Hole server providing
                          supplementary information on the collection cruise.
                          Information given includes PI and personnel aboard the
                          platform, purpose of field activity, area of operations,
                          and links to materials in the Data Library also derived
                          from this cruise.

  description_available   Yes or No, is there a page with a sample description
                          available for the public?

  desc_page               Link to the description page, if available.

  data_available          Types of data collected from this sample.

  published               Yes or No, have data from this sample been published?

  publication             Citation and link to published materials.

  in_collections          Yes or No, do we have the sample available in our
                          collections?

  storage_facility        Storage facility housing the sample.

  storage_location        Location of sample within the facility.

  entry_date              Date sample information was entered/ updated in the
                          sediment archive database.
  ----------------------- --------------------------------------------------------

[^1]: At the time of publication, the Freezer Farm was moved to a
    temporary location adjacent to the WHOI McLean Core Storage Facility
    to facilitate construction of an addition to the USGS Gosnold
    Laboratory. The above link provides a map of the current/ temporary
    van locations.