TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page 



FOREWORD Hi 



PREFACE V 



FIGURES viil 



TABLES viii 



PLATES ix 



APPENDIX ix 



INTRODUCTION ] 



Purpose of the Investigation 1 



Description of the Area 1 



REVIEW OF PERTINENT LITERATURE 6 



The Bahama Platform 6 



The Tongue of the Ocean 7 



PRESENT INVESTIGATION 9 



Field Procedure 9 



Laboratory Analyses 9 



SEDIMENTS 13 



General 13 



Near-flank Sediments 15 



Axial Sediments 25 



Cul-de-sac Sediments 33 



RATE OF SEDIMENT ACCUMULATION 45 



ENGINEERING PROPERTIES 48 



Shear Strength 48 



Sensitivity 57 



BOTTOM PHOTOGRAPHY 58 



Camera Station Data o 58 



Biology 60 



Bottom Features 61 



Bottom Currents 62 



SUMMARY 64 



REFERENCES CITED 66 



vil 



