The Sussex IFCA in collaboration with the Environment Agency (EA) undertake biannual small fish surveys at two sites near the entrance of the Cuckmere river during spring and autumn each year, the first survey being in spring 2013. The IFCA standard operating procedure for surveying small fish is used (a copy of this document is held by the IFCA) and the methodology conforms with the Centre for Environment and Fisheries and Aquaculture (Cefas) advice for surveying juvenile bass. One survey method is used; a beach seine. All fish caught are identified to species level. The first 50 of each fish species are measured (total length from snout to tip of tail) with the remainder being counted. In addition, fork length is measured for bass, and for all bass greater than 21cm a scale sample is taken for age determination. The surveys are always conducted at slack water and at similar tidal heights. Additional information recorded includes; Water analysis (temperature, salinity, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen (percentage and mg/L) and pH ), tidal state, tidal height, persons present, fish identifier and meteorological information. The data is currently stored in MS Excel spreadsheets. The objective of monitoring small fish is to develop a time series of relative abundance in the near shore habitats (areas which are commonly utilised by juvenile fish as nursery grounds). The information collected has many applications e.g. to monitor abundance over time, to investigate responses to specific events or to investigate the growth rate of a species.
