Book excerpt: This book provides acoustic images about sedimentary systems of the shelf edge, slope and deep-sea-floor. Data obtained by the European North Atlantic Margin and the STEAM Project shows areas of potential instability and deepwater sediment transport systems on the continental slope. The knowledge gained can be used by both academia and hydrocarbon industry so as to arrive at a better understanding of continental margins and the processes shaping them. It will also interest colleagues in earth sciences involved in margin surveys for environmental studies. The current global trend in marine resource development is to move into deeper water, and this book can provide examples relevant to other passive margins around the world. There is a growing need for reliable measurements in deep water and knowledge related to stabilisation. Slope stability problems will be identified with greater reliability, thus improving safety standards for coastal and offshore environmental policies.