A NEW SETTLING METHOD FOR PREPARING QUANTITATIVE RADIOLARIAN SLIDES FROM PLANKTON, SEDIMENT TRAP AND DEEP-SEA SEDIMENT SAMPLES

We present a new method for settling radiolaria onto slides for quanti tative analysis of plankton, sediment trap and deep-sea sediment sampl es. Samples are distributed over the surface of a standing column of w ater and settle directly onto glass slide coverslips. The settling apa ratus is a 44 mm diameter polycarbonate tube which is fused to a 90 x 95 x 28 mm plexi-glass base. The settling tube base is bolted to an al uminum baseplate bearing the coverslips and filled with water before t he sample is dispensed. This method allows 87.3% of the specimens to b e available for microscopic analysis and permits quantitative analysis of samples as small as 15 mg dry bulk weight of sample.