All the samples used for this research were obtained by scraping along the entire length of every 1.5-m section of each core taken from Hole 1098B. The sediments were treated with a solution of 10% hydrogen peroxide neutralized with sodium pyrophosphate (Sanfilippo et al., 1985; Boltovskoy, 1999). Successive treatments were conducted until the radiolarian skeletons were clean. The carbonate fraction was removed with hydrochloric acid. Sediments were sieved over a 45-µm screen, and strewn slides of the >45-µm fraction were mounted with Canada balsam. Analyses of the slides were made using a Zeiss Photomicroscope I at 100x. All skeletons (one slide per sample) were identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible and counted. Qualitative estimates of total radiolarian abundance were made as relative percent of skeletons of total grains on a slide. This approach was used because the sediment was sieved and radiolarian abundance was "few" (100-500 skeletons per slide) in all samples. Fifty-two taxa were counted. Preservation was estimated using the following criteria: