Boulder The Index to Marine Geological Samples available from participating institutions The Index to Marine Geological Samples Database, also known as the Curators' Database, is a cooperative effort between nineteen oceanographic institutions and government agencies that maintain marine sample repositories to provide information on the contents of their collections to help researchers locate marine sediment and rock material for further analysis. Several US institutions receive funding from the US National Science Foundation to participate. The Curators' Database contains inventory and standardized lithology, texture, and age information for over 101,000 seafloor samples archived by oceanographic institutions and government agencies, and is fully searchable online.
Samples are available for further study, on request, from the participating repository.
Before proposing research on any sample located by searching the Curators' Database, please contact the appropriate curator for more information on sample condition and availability. Addition data including physiographic province, principal investigator, age, lithology, texture, and descriptive comments are available for some samples. The Curators' Group meets approximately once every 1-3 years.