2010 onwards Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA), Chichester Harbour, biannual small fish surveys by beach seine and beam trawl dataset https://portal.medin.org.uk/portal/start.php?tpc=010_62180ee179e47a0757ba228be3d45e61 The Sussex IFCA in collaboration with Chichester Harbour Conservancy (CHC) undertake biannual small fish surveys at five sites (2010-2012) three sites (2013 onwards) within Chichester Harbour during spring and autumn every year (2010-2016) then every other year (2018 onwards). The first survey was in spring 2010. From 2017, we have worked in partnership with Sparsholt College to undertake seine net sampling at two sites in October/November. 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 Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) and the Centre for Environment and Fisheries and Aquaculture (Cefas) advice for surveying juvenile bass. Two survey methods are used; a beach seine and a 1.5m or a 2m beam trawl. 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. 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 and meteorological information. The data is stored in 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 with a European Marine Site, to investigate responses to specific events or to investigate the growth rate of a species. 20120828 20120828