The main aim of the BENDEX (BEnthic Disturbance EXperiment) project was to investigate succession and recolonisation rates of Antarctic benthos after a catrastrophic disturbance event. It also included a biodiversity inventory of high Antarctic benthic species and investigated phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships and genetic variability of sub- and high Antarctic fauna. In total six epibenthic sledge samples were taken on the Weddell Sea shelf off Kapp Norvegia between 397 and 882 m depths.