scouring or dredging could also attract or exclude fish depending on the 

 species' habitat preferences. 



To meet the purpose of the monitoring program and assess potential 

 impacts listed above, the data collected should allow us to: 



1) describe the occurrence, distribution and relative abundance 

 of potentially impacted finfish in the Greater Millstone Bight 



2) contribute information with which to distinguish naturally 

 occurring changes in such populations from those resulting from power 

 plant related impacts 



3) describe changes in community composition with respect to power 



plant impacts (EAC meeting, May 1979). 



The trawl sampling program was established in April 1973 to monitor 



the demersal fish. Initially, one 15min haul was taken biweekly from 

 each of seven stations. The program expanded to 11 sampling stations in 

 197 6. By October of 1977 it had evolved into the current program of 

 triplicate hauls covering 0.69km taken biweekly at six representative 

 stations. 



The seine sampling program was established in 1969 to monitor the 

 shore-zone fish. A preliminary study (Battelle 1973) indicated that 

 there was no difference in the numbers of fish collected from the shore 

 zone at different tidal stages and thus all samples have been collected 

 in the two hours preceding high tide. Initially, samples were collected 

 in February, May, July, September and December at four stations. The 

 program was expanded to include June, August and October samples at a 

 total of six stations. 



