BOSCORF is the UK's national deep sea core repository and maintains an extensive collection of marine sediment cores for scientific research.
The 2020 annual report of the BOSCORF facilities and sediment core collection to its funder (UKRI NERC) has identified a suite of sediment cores as a candidate for deaccession and release to the scientific and academic communities. These sediment cores, originally collected from 1986 to 1990 by the Geological Survey of the Netherlands, have been determined to have little to no remaining value to research based on their poor physical condition and the lack of basic metadata that BOSCORF has managed to uncover about them. BOSCORF policy and guidance for evaluating its collections (available here) details the evaluation process used to determine this suite’s eligibility for retention or deaccession, and provides guidance and criteria for transfer. BOSCORF is now accepting applications from academic institutes, outreach providers, and other research centres offering a permanent transfer custody of these sediment cores. Possible uses for these cores include: aids for undergraduate coursework, tools for outreach, or educational displays. Expression of interest for transfer of ownership is to be sent via email to s.maclachlan@noc.ac.uk. The deadline is Friday 20 December 2020. All applicants will be notified by Friday 8 January 2021.
Please note: As a part of the final agreement, all transfer costs (shipping, receiving, and storage) will be absorbed by the new owners. Transfer deadline is Friday 26 February 2021.
Download available here of the marine sediment cores images available to the scientific community.