Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Chesapeake Watershed CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Chesapeake Watershed CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G14AS00057) is a US Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary funding announcement focused on applied research about how coastal marshes can persist as sea levels rise. It is offered as a cooperative agreement under the CESU framework, meaning the work is intended to be carried out collaboratively with USGS involvement rather than as a simple, hands-off grant. The core scientific question is the concept of a "threshold rate" of sea level rise: many modern marsh models suggest marshes can keep up with rising seas only up to a certain rate, after which they begin to drown or convert to open water unless they can migrate inland.

The opportunity centers on marsh resilience mechanisms. Coastal wetlands generally respond to sea level rise in two ways: they can move landward (often called transgression or migration) if there is space and suitable topography, or they can build elevation vertically through sediment deposition and organic matter accumulation (accretion). Historically, many marshes have survived changing sea levels by vertical building, but accelerating sea level rise, changing sediment supplies, and human-altered shorelines raise the risk that vertical accretion may not keep pace. Over roughly the last decade leading up to this announcement, researchers developed numerical models that combine biological processes (plant growth, organic matter production, vegetation effects on sediment trapping) with physical processes (tidal inundation, sediment delivery, erosion) to predict marsh evolution and long-term persistence. A major, still not fully tested outcome of these models is the idea that marsh survival is not a gradual decline but can hinge on a threshold, where conditions are stable up to a point and then fail beyond it.

A key takeaway driving the proposed research is that the threshold rate for marsh survival may be controlled by two relatively straightforward characteristics: tidal range and sediment availability. Tidal range matters because it helps define the vertical "growth window" for marsh plants, shaping where vegetation can thrive and how often the marsh platform is flooded, which in turn influences how much sediment can be deposited and retained. Sediment availability matters because suspended sediments in the water column are a primary source of mineral material that can be deposited on the marsh surface during flooding, contributing to elevation gain. If sediment concentrations are too low, even healthy vegetation may not be able to trap enough mineral matter to build elevation at the pace required by sea level rise.

To ground these model-based ideas in real measurements, USGS describes field and historical-data approaches aimed at quantifying marsh accretion and sediment supply. The work includes estimating accretion rates using marsh geochronologies, specifically lead-210 (Pb-210) and cesium-137 (Cs-137) radionuclide dating methods commonly used to reconstruct sediment accumulation over decadal timescales. The project also involves analyzing historical photographs to assess landscape change over time, which can provide evidence of marsh stability, conversion to open water, or landward movement. In parallel, USGS is measuring suspended sediment concentrations in the water column across seasonal timescales, which helps characterize how much sediment is actually available to the marsh during different conditions throughout the year. Together, these measurements support a more rigorous test of whether simple predictors like tidal range and sediment supply can explain observed marsh resilience limits and help validate or improve existing biophysical models.

Administratively, the award is managed by the USGS under CFDA number 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection). The announcement anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1) with an estimated total funding amount of $180,000. No cost sharing or matching requirement is indicated. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, and the activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The posting date and creation date were both April 14, 2014, with an original and current closing date of April 25, 2014, and the archive date listed as July 14, 2014. Although the award ceiling and floor are listed as 0 in the source data (often a formatting artifact in older grants listings), the total estimated funding provides the practical scale of the opportunity.

Eligibility is restricted to partners in the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. CESUs are partnership networks designed to streamline collaboration among federal agencies, universities, and other research organizations to deliver research, technical assistance, and education. In this case, only participating Chesapeake Watershed CESU partners could apply, which typically includes institutions already part of that designated CESU consortium.

For further details, the announcement directs applicants to Grants.gov and provides a point of contact for access issues: Faith Graves at 703-648-7356 and fgraves@usgs.gov.

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