During the 1976 Atlantic 2800m radioactive waste dumpsite survey, an 80-gallon low-level radioactive waste container was recovered. Within the two hour interval between the time the container first emerged from the ocean until it was encapsulated, the exterior condition of the drum, including the appearance of corrosion product films and attached biological growths, was extensively documented photographically. In the report, representative photographs, as well as the results of limited chemical and biological analyses performed by University of Delaware personnel during the above two hour interval, are presented. These results are discussed in light of previously published deep ocean corrosion data, and recommendations on improving shipboard sampling and analytical procedures are given.