This dataset contains counts of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, whole foraminifera and Ice Rafted Debris from ODP Site 981 covering the period 0.95-1.1Ma. Sediment samples from the splice of ODP Site 983 [Jansen et al., 1996] were spun overnight and washed with deionised water through a 6 μm sieve before being dried at 40°C. IRD and foraminiferal counts were made on the >150 μm fraction after splitting to yield approximately 300 entities. IRD was considered as the total number of lithogenic/terrigenous grains counted. Only left coiling specimens of N. pachyderma were counted and all 5 morphotypes of N. pachyderma found in recent Arctic sediments [Eynaud, 2011] were counted.