This manual provides practical advice on the appropriation, conservation, and documentation of a marine biological reference collection, in response to needs expressed by Mediterranean Arab countries. A reference collection is defined as a working museum containing a series of specimens with which biologists are able to compare their own material. The manual first reviews the principal methods for collecting marine biological samples from plankton, nekton, and benthos. Next, advice and recommendations are provided on the treatment of samples immediately after their collection and subsequently in the collection center. Topics considered include sorting, fixation and preservation, and labelling. The documentation which must accompany each sample throughout its existence is emphasized since, without such documentation, the sample has no scientific value. The last section of the manual touches on the problems of ethics and of the security of access to the collections by potential users. Additional information provided in appendices includes bibliographic references, a suggested classification scheme for the collections, addresses of suppliers of materials and equipment, examples of labels, and a schema explaining the principles of an adequate documentation system. (Author/JN)