Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forest CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 10HQPA0019) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically the Great Lakes Northern Forest CESU. The core purpose is to support applied research that connects climate and land use change projections to real, measurable outcomes for fish habitat, with a strong emphasis on coldwater systems in Minnesota glacial lakes and, by extension, similar lake systems across the upper Midwest.

The scientific focus sits inside a larger USGS effort to "downscale" Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models (AOGCMs). Downscaling is the step that takes broad, global climate model outputs and translates them into higher-resolution, decision-relevant information at national, regional, and even local scales. In this project, those refined climate projections are paired with predicted land use change to evaluate how fish habitats may become more or less vulnerable under future conditions. The goal is not just to map habitat change, but to use the outputs to infer likely biological responses of fish populations to warming, altered stratification patterns, and changing watershed inputs that affect water quality.

A key point is that this work is meant to build directly on existing, partnership-driven efforts already underway. The announcement ties the project to the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) national assessment of fish habitat and to ongoing studies in Minnesota glacial lakes. Minnesota is used as a model system because its glacial lakes are representative of many upper Midwest lake types and are sensitive to both climate-driven changes (such as longer stratification seasons and warmer surface waters) and land use-driven changes (such as shifts in nutrient loading from watershed development or agricultural practices).

Funding under this opportunity is targeted at developing a Minnesota lake-specific mechanistic model that predicts two critical indicators of coldwater fish habitat: hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen concentrations and hypolimnetic temperature. The hypolimnion is the deep, colder layer of a stratified lake where many coldwater species seek refuge during warm periods. If deep-water oxygen declines (often due to nutrient-driven productivity and decomposition) or temperatures rise beyond species tolerances, the amount of viable coldwater refuge shrinks. Mechanistic modeling is important here because it is designed to represent the physical and biogeochemical processes that drive these conditions, rather than relying only on statistical correlations.

The lake model is also intended to be linked to a watershed nutrient loading component, with nutrient inputs predicted using the SWAT model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool). SWAT is commonly used to simulate how precipitation, land cover, soils, and management practices influence runoff and nutrient delivery to water bodies. By connecting SWAT-based nutrient loading projections with in-lake oxygen and temperature dynamics, the project aims to produce an integrated forecasting tool capable of estimating how much coldwater fish habitat will be available under different future climate and land use scenarios. In practical terms, that means translating global change drivers into a habitat quantity metric that fisheries managers and conservation planners can use.

Administratively, this is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, which typically implies substantial involvement by the federal agency during the project (for example, collaboration on methods, data integration, or reporting). The funding activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The opportunity anticipated a single award, with an estimated total funding amount of $88,890 listed in the announcement, and an award ceiling of $400,000 (award floor $0). There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated.

Eligibility is restricted to entities that are participating partners of the Great Lakes Northern Forest CESU Program. CESUs are formal partnerships designed to deliver research, technical assistance, and education through collaboration among federal agencies, universities, tribes, and other partners; the announcement makes clear that applicants must already be part of that CESU network to be eligible.

Key dates shown in the record include a posted date of November 25, 2009, with closing dates listed as December 10, 2009 (original) and December 14, 2009 (current), and an archive date of January 13, 2010. The CFDA number associated with the award is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection). For access issues or questions about the announcement, the listed contact is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

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