The Sussex IFCA in collaboration with the Environment Agency (EA) and Rye Harbour Nature Reserve (RHNR) undertook small fish surveys monthly June-September on the beach to the west of Rye harbour entrance using fyke nets and a beach seine net, and in Rye bay and off Hastings and Eastbourne in September using a 2m survey beam trawl. The IFCA standard operating procedure for surveying small fish was 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. All fish caught were identified to species level. The first 50 of each fish species were measured (total length from snout to tip of tail) with the remainder being counted. In addition, fork length was measured for bass, and for all bass greater than 21cm a scale sample was taken for age determination. 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 in Marine Protected Areas, to investigate responses to specific events or to investigate the growth rate of a species.