Lyttelton Harbour, one of the many shallow, muddy bottomed inlets around the New Zealand coast, has a number of unusual features that affect the enclosed water. The harbour's location and the volcanic origin of Banks Peninsula affect the water temperatures, turbulence, turbidity, and the current directions and intensity, (Fig.1). These are detailed in the following chapters. The volcanic material, along with the loess coating the hills around the harbour, has a controlling effect on the amount and type of sediment on the seafloor, The fauna living in and on the substrate must be considered in relation to the, physical characteristics of the environment before any conclusions on the existence of possible communities may be formulated. The first section details the methods used in the analysis of these characteristics and the equipment used to sample the fauna.