Abstract. Pleistocene and late Pliocene benthic foraminifera from the Manihiki Plateau (southwestern tropical Pacific) were studied at piston-core 34KL. A new benthic foraminiferal biozonation is proposed. It comprises the Nodogenerina sagriensis Partial Range Zone from core base to 566.5 cm and the Fissurina seminiformis Partial Range Zone from this level to core top. The boundary is defined by the last occurence of Nodogenerina sagriensis which is time equivalent to the ‘Stilostomella extinction’ in the Eastern Atlantic. High abundances of Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi indicate a strong influence of near-bottom currents. The absence of high-productivity sensitive species reveals a low flux of organic matter to the sea floor from which a considerable amount is adduced by lateral advection.