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Lot 14 – Beachy Head East is a recommended MCZ which extends between Beachy Head and Hastings, in the English Channel. Defra commissioned Cefas to co-ordinate a programme of seabed surveys to provide additional data for specified rMCZs.The programme as a whole included acoustic and benthic sampling surveys and the initial phase was completed in February and March of 2012 by a range of service providers from both the public and private sector. As part of this process, the Marine Monitoring Service (MMS) of the Environment Agency (EA) conducted 18 sub-tidal benthic habitat characterisation surveys using sampling techniques appropriate to the predicted sediment type (i.e. grab samplers, underwater video).