Opportunity Information: Apply for F16AS00117
Apply for F16AS00117
- The DOI-FWS in the environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Climate altered terrestrial carbon and nutrient flux to the aquatic foodweb from increased depth of soil ice thaw, Selawik and Fish Rivers" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.650.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 29, 2016 and posted on Feb 29, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 22, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $85,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity titled "Climate altered terrestrial carbon and nutrient flux to the aquatic foodweb from increased depth of soil ice thaw, Selawik and Fish Rivers" (Funding Opportunity Number F16AS00117) is a U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS) cooperative agreement focused on understanding how climate-driven permafrost and soil-ice thaw could reshape the Selawik River basin aquatic food web. The central idea is that deeper seasonal thaw, especially during spring and early summer, can mobilize and flush more land-derived carbon and nutrients into rivers and connected waters, potentially changing microbial activity and the foundation of aquatic production that supports higher trophic levels.
The project is designed around three connected scientific objectives that follow the pathway from land to water to the base of the food web. First, it aims to measure both the quantity and the character (quality) of terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrients entering the aquatic system as thaw depth increases. This includes not only DOC, but also organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, with attention to the spring and early summer period when runoff and thaw-related export are typically strongest. The emphasis on "quality" signals that the chemical composition and biological lability of DOC matter, since different DOC types can fuel microbes differently and can also influence water color, light penetration, and downstream processing.
Second, the opportunity targets how shifts in DOC inputs translate into changes in aquatic microbial function, with a particular focus on bacteria. The goal here is to quantify changes in microbial respiration (how fast microbes consume organic matter and release carbon dioxide) and microbial production (how much microbial biomass is created) as DOC quantity and composition change. This matters because bacteria sit at the base of many aquatic food webs and act as a gatekeeper for how much terrestrial carbon is converted into biomass versus burned off through respiration. In practical terms, the work links thaw-driven carbon export to measurable changes in microbial metabolism, which can alter oxygen dynamics, carbon cycling, and the amount of energy available to the rest of the food web.
Third, the program examines how altered terrestrial DOC and nitrogen loading may affect phytoplankton, which are another key foundation of aquatic food webs. The project intends to evaluate whether increased terrestrial inputs change phytoplankton primary production rates, shift community composition (which kinds of phytoplankton dominate), and alter energy content as reflected in lipid quantity and composition. These endpoints are important because primary production and lipid-rich biomass help determine the nutritional value of the base of the food web for zooplankton, fish, and ultimately wildlife species that depend on these river systems. Changes in DOC can also indirectly affect phytoplankton by altering light availability and nutrient balance, so this objective connects watershed inputs to both productivity and food quality.
Administratively, this was a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, indicating an expectation of substantial involvement or coordination with the funding agency compared to a standard grant. The eligible applicants were limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The anticipated funding was modest and targeted: an award ceiling of $85,000, with one expected award. The opportunity was posted on February 29, 2016, created the same day, and had an application closing date of March 22, 2016. The activity category was listed under environment and natural resources, with CFDA number 15.650.
Overall, the opportunity supports an integrated, process-based investigation of how climate change can intensify the movement of terrestrial carbon and nutrients into the Selawik and Fish River aquatic ecosystems through deeper thaw, and how those inputs cascade through bacteria and phytoplankton to influence ecosystem metabolism, productivity, community structure, and the energetic quality of the food web.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Climate altered terrestrial carbon and nutrient flux to the aquatic foodweb from increased depth of soil ice thaw, Selawik and Fish Rivers."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F16AS00117.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
This is a U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI-FWS) funding opportunity.
What type of funding mechanism is being used?
The opportunity uses a cooperative agreement mechanism, which generally indicates substantial involvement or coordination with the funding agency compared to a standard grant.
Is this a discretionary or mandatory funding opportunity?
It is described as a discretionary funding opportunity.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
What is the main scientific focus of the project?
The project focuses on how climate-driven permafrost and soil-ice thaw (especially deeper seasonal thaw) could increase the flushing of land-derived carbon and nutrients into rivers and connected waters, potentially reshaping the Selawik River basin aquatic food web.
Which geographic area and river systems are emphasized?
The work is centered on the Selawik River basin and references the Selawik and Fish Rivers.
Why does thaw depth matter for rivers and aquatic food webs?
Deeper seasonal thaw, particularly in spring and early summer, can mobilize more terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrients and deliver them into aquatic systems. This can change microbial activity and influence the base of aquatic production that supports higher trophic levels.
What are the three main scientific objectives of the project?
The project is organized around three connected objectives: (1) measure the quantity and quality of terrestrial DOC and nutrients entering aquatic systems as thaw depth increases, (2) determine how changes in DOC inputs affect aquatic microbial function (especially bacteria), and (3) evaluate how altered terrestrial DOC and nitrogen loading affect phytoplankton production, community composition, and energy content (lipids).
What types of carbon are being studied?
The project emphasizes terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC), including both how much DOC enters the aquatic system (quantity) and what kind it is chemically and biologically (quality).
What nutrients are included in the measurements?
The opportunity specifies organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen and phosphorus.
Why does DOC "quality" matter, not just DOC quantity?
The chemical composition and biological lability of DOC can affect how microbes use it, how rapidly it is processed, and how it influences water color and light penetration. Different DOC types can fuel microbial activity differently and shape downstream aquatic processing.
Which season or time period is especially important in this study?
Spring and early summer are emphasized, because runoff and thaw-related export are typically strongest during that period.
How does the opportunity connect land processes to aquatic ecosystems?
It follows a pathway from land to water to the base of the food web: thaw increases terrestrial carbon and nutrient export to rivers, which can change microbial metabolism and phytoplankton productivity and composition.
What part of the aquatic food web is the focus, and why?
The focus is on the base of the aquatic food web, especially bacteria (microbial function) and phytoplankton (primary producers). These groups influence ecosystem metabolism, carbon cycling, and the nutritional foundation that supports higher trophic levels.
What microbial processes are being measured or quantified?
The project aims to quantify microbial respiration (consumption of organic matter and release of carbon dioxide) and microbial production (creation of microbial biomass) as DOC quantity and composition change.
Why are bacteria described as a "gatekeeper" in this opportunity?
Bacteria can determine how much terrestrial carbon is converted into biomass versus how much is respired (burned off) as carbon dioxide, which affects energy transfer through the food web and broader carbon cycling.
How could changes in DOC affect oxygen or carbon cycling in rivers?
Shifts in microbial respiration and production driven by DOC inputs can alter oxygen dynamics and carbon cycling, influencing how organic matter is processed in the aquatic system.
What phytoplankton outcomes does the project plan to evaluate?
The project intends to evaluate phytoplankton primary production rates, community composition (which groups dominate), and energy content measured through lipid quantity and composition.
Why does the opportunity emphasize lipids in phytoplankton?
Lipid quantity and composition are used as indicators of energetic (nutritional) quality at the base of the food web, which can affect food value for zooplankton, fish, and wildlife dependent on these river systems.
Can DOC influence phytoplankton indirectly as well as directly?
Yes. The opportunity notes that DOC can indirectly affect phytoplankton by altering light availability (for example, through water color) and nutrient balance.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category is environment and natural resources.
What is the CFDA number listed for the opportunity?
The CFDA number is 15.650.
What was the award ceiling?
The award ceiling was $85,000.
How many awards were expected?
One award was expected.
When was the opportunity posted and created?
It was posted on February 29, 2016, and created the same day (February 29, 2016).
What was the application closing date?
The application closing date was March 22, 2016.
What overall research outcome is this opportunity trying to support?
It supports an integrated, process-based investigation of how deeper thaw increases terrestrial carbon and nutrient delivery to aquatic ecosystems and how those inputs cascade through bacteria and phytoplankton to influence ecosystem metabolism, productivity, community structure, and the energetic quality of the aquatic food web.
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