This guide is intended for students interested in the origin, deposition and alteration of carbonate sediments and sedimentary rocks; especially the interactions between organisms and sediments and early diagenesis.

It is organized in stratigraphic order. The first section is concerned with the nature and origin of the volcanic seamount and overlying Pleistocene carbonate rocks. The second section deals with the sediments and environment of the Recent. The additional sections in this guide have been designed to provide rapid identification of common and conspicuous marine life. For more extensive descriptions and illustrations of those species included here, the reader is asked to consult the references and guides cited.