Isle of Wight to Dover; 10 areas with between 20 and 60 sites per area.

Bacteria generic abundance in sediment; Insect and earthworm taxonomy-related abundance per unit area of the bed; Sediment grain size parameters; Concentration of other organic contaminants in sediment samples; Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance; Zoobenthos taxonomy-related counts; Bacteria taxonomic abundance in sediment; Nitrogen concentrations in sediment; Carbon concentrations in sediment; Fauna abundance per unit area of the bed; Inorganic chemical composition of sediment or rocks

Sediment grabs; elemental analysers; nutrient analysers; in-situ particle sizers; rock dredges

Benthic studies have been undertaken in ten areas along the UK south coast in the vicinity of existing and planned long sea outfalls. The locations of these sites, and the number of years for which data are available, are as follows: Sandown Isle of Wight 1 year Cowes Isle of Wight 5 years Eastney Hampshire 3 years Worthing Sussex 1 year Shoreham Sussex 1 year Seaford Sussex 5 years Eastbourne Sussex 2 years Hastings Sussex 2 years Folkstone Kent 1 year Dover Kent 1 year The number of sites sampled on each occasion ranged from 20 to 60. At a minimum 20 faunal sites were sampled (Day and Forster dredge), with replicates taken at most sites. All fauna were identified to species where possible and processed using Twinspan and CANOCO. Particle size data were generated for most sites where fauna were collected. The following metals were analysed at each site: Cu, Cr, Ni, Hg, Pb, Cd and Zn. Pesticides and other micro-organic pollutants were analysed from sediments taken from six of the above areas. Microbiological components of the sediments were measured at all of the sites sampled for fauna, with additional samples taken at all sites in the first year of study. Each site and year are stored separately on disc and paper. Processed data are also stored for the purpose of multivariate data analysis. Interpretative reports are available for each of the surveys conducted.

Environmental Monitoring Unit, Southern Science
Hampshire Laboratory Sparrowgrove
Otterbourne
Hants
SO21 2SW
United Kingdom