A large-diameter coring device was designed to recover plant litter in fluvial sediments as part of a taphonomic study of plant deposition in a modern river system. The corer was used to retrieve unconsolidated sediments from shallow (< 1.5 m) water, either from a boat or from the riverbank, and was designed to be transportable for use in remote reaches of tropical rivers. The device is operable by a single person, easily repaired, and rugged.