A seafloor survey was conducted in July 1997 and March 1998 to investigate the health of seafloor communities and depositional patterns of synthetic-based-fluid (SBF) -coated cuttings in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GOM). A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used to collect sediment cores for chemical and benthic analyses, and videotransects were made for identification and enumeration of fish and large invertebrates.