2011 INTERNATIONAL WALRUS HAULOUT MONITORING WORKSHOP | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the 2011 International Walrus Haulout Monitoring Workshop grant opportunity?

It was a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement to support the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in convening an international, science-focused workshop on Pacific walrus coastal haulouts.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?

The Funding Opportunity Number is F11PS01345.

Which federal agency offered this opportunity?

The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

What was the main purpose of the funded workshop?

The central purpose was to bring together walrus experts from the United States and Russia to compare what is already known, identify the most important information gaps, and agree on practical, shared approaches for monitoring Pacific walrus coastal haulouts in Alaska and Chukotka.

Why was this funding opportunity created?

It was motivated by recent changes in walrus behavior and distribution, especially the formation of large coastal haulouts in areas where walrus historically relied more heavily on sea ice habitat. These changes highlighted the need for better organized monitoring programs and more consistent, prioritized approaches to data collection in a rapidly changing Arctic ecosystem.

What geographic areas were the focus of the workshop?

The workshop focused on coastal haulouts along the Arctic coasts of Alaska (United States) and Chukotka (Russia).

What walrus population was the workshop focused on?

The workshop focused on Pacific walrus, a population shared by the United States and Russia.

What were the intended outcomes of bringing U.S. and Russian experts together?

The intent was to strengthen cross-border coordination and information exchange and to help ensure future research and management decisions are based on consistent, prioritized monitoring strategies.

What were the main deliverables required under the cooperative agreement?

There were two main deliverables: (1) WCS hosting and facilitating a subject matter expert workshop to review existing data sources, compare methods, and produce monitoring recommendations; and (2) WCS producing a written workshop report summarizing current knowledge, information gaps, priority needs, and recommendations for future monitoring and research.

What topics and monitoring priorities were specifically identified for discussion?

The announcement highlighted several concrete, management-relevant monitoring priorities: tracking where and when coastal haulouts are used; documenting sources of disturbance and evaluating disturbance impacts on walrus behavior and outcomes; estimating herd size and composition at haulouts (such as the proportion of adults versus calves); and considering genetic sampling at haulouts to investigate stock structure and improve understanding of abundance and population connectivity.

What does the opportunity mean by moving from "scattered observations" to more organized monitoring?

The announcement frames the workshop as a way to shift from varied methods and isolated observations toward more deliberate planning, increased standardization where possible, and clearer priorities for both fieldwork and long-term tracking.

What was the purpose of the written workshop report?

The report was intended to capture the state of existing knowledge about coastal haulout use, clearly describe information gaps and priority needs, and offer recommendations for future monitoring and research. It was meant to be usable beyond the workshop as a planning foundation for WCS, USFWS, and other agencies or institutions designing studies, allocating resources, and potentially developing policy or management responses.

What type of funding instrument was used?

The funding instrument was a cooperative agreement.

What program (CFDA) was this opportunity associated with?

It was offered under the Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance CFDA program, CFDA number 15.608.

How was the opportunity categorized?

It was categorized under science and technology and other research and development.

How much funding was expected to be awarded?

The total expected funding was $30,500.

How many awards were anticipated?

A single award was anticipated.

Was the award amount flexible or fixed?

It was effectively fixed: both the award floor and the award ceiling were set at $30,500.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

Yes. The announcement indicates that a cost sharing or matching requirement applied.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education.

Which organization was the cooperative agreement designed to support?

The cooperative agreement was designed to support the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on August 3, 2011.

What was the application closing date?

The original and current closing date was August 19, 2011.

Is the opportunity still open?

No. The opportunity was archived on September 18, 2011.

Who was the listed agency contact for this opportunity?

The listed agency contact was Joel Garlich Miller with USFWS Marine Mammals Management in Anchorage, Alaska.

What kind of assistance was the agency contact associated with?

The contact information was provided for assistance accessing the full announcement.

How does this workshop relate to management decisions?

The workshop and resulting report were intended to produce actionable recommendations and prioritized monitoring strategies so that future research and management decisions related to haulouts and walrus conservation could be based on more consistent and coordinated information.