Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 310 to the reef terraces around Tahiti, French Polynesia, was the second expedition to utilize a mission-specific platform (MSP) and was conducted by the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) Science Operator (ESO). The objectives of Expedition 310 are to establish the course of postglacial sea level rise at Tahiti, to define sea-surface temperature (SST) variations for the region over the period 20–10 ka, and to analyze the impact of sea level changes on reef growth and geometry. To meet these objectives, the postglacial reef sequence, which consists of successive reef terraces seaward of the living barrier reef, was cored from a dynamically positioned vessel during October and November 2005. A total of 37 boreholes across 22 sites were cored in water depths ranging from 41.65 to 117.54 m. Borehole logging operations in 10 boreholes provided continuous geophysical information about the drilled strata. The cores were described during the Onshore Science Party at the IODP Bremen Core Repository during February and March 2006, where minimum and some standard measurements were made. Further postcruise research on samples taken during the Onshore Science Party are expected to fulfill the objectives of the expedition.

For more information: http://www.eso.ecord.org/expeditions/310/310.php