Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is this funding opportunity?

This is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Agreement funding opportunity released through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU. The project is administered through the USGS Great Lakes Science Center and is focused on fisheries and aquatic ecology research in the Great Lakes connecting channels.

2. What is the official Funding Opportunity Number and title?

The opportunity was posted on Grants.gov as a discretionary grant under Funding Opportunity Number (FON) G15AS00097, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests."

3. Which USGS program or office is associated with this project?

The announcement was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through its Great Lakes Science Center.

4. What is the main purpose of the project?

The project aims to determine how larval fish diets and growth patterns can be used to evaluate nursery habitat quality in the St. Clair-Detroit Rivers System (SCDRS). The broader intent is to produce practical, science-based insight into whether food web and habitat conditions are supporting healthy early life stages of fish, which can strongly influence long-term fish population success.

5. What geographic area does the project focus on?

The work focuses on the St. Clair-Detroit Rivers System (SCDRS), described as a major connecting channel that influences fish populations and ecosystem dynamics across the region, including western Lake Erie.

6. Why are larval fish a focus of this research?

Larval fish are highlighted because early life stages are highly sensitive to habitat conditions and prey availability. Understanding which conditions lead to better feeding and growth can help identify high-value nursery habitats and reveal where restoration or management actions may be needed.

7. What kinds of scientific activities are described in the opportunity?

The project centers on analysis and synthesis of biological samples along with long-term scientific monitoring datasets. It combines statistical approaches with fisheries and aquatic ecology methods to describe what larval fish are eating, how well they are growing, and what that indicates about food resource availability and quality.

8. Does the project look only at larval fish diets?

No. The project explicitly places larval fish diets within the broader context of the aquatic community and changing food-web structure. It includes quantifying aquatic community composition over time, tracking species succession, and documenting patterns in abundance and distribution.

9. What ecological questions is the study trying to answer?

Based on the description, the study is designed to clarify trophic pathways and ecological interactions that shape recruitment and survival in the SCDRS and adjacent waters by linking larval fish diet information to growth measures and broader community conditions.

10. How is this project expected to be useful for management or restoration?

The intended practical value is to support decision-making for fish population management and habitat restoration in the St. Clair and Detroit River corridor and in western Lake Erie. Because fish movement and connected ecosystem processes link these waters, local nursery habitat quality can have regional consequences.

11. What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The opportunity falls under the "Science and Technology and other Research and Development" activity category.

12. What is the CFDA/Assistance Listing number associated with this opportunity?

The associated CFDA (now commonly referenced as an Assistance Listing) number is 15.808, USGS Research and Data Collection.

13. How many awards did USGS anticipate making?

USGS anticipated making one award.

14. What was the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount listed for the opportunity was $60,000.

15. Was cost sharing or matching required?

No. The announcement stated that no cost sharing or matching was required.

16. What were the award floor and ceiling?

The award floor and ceiling were both listed as $0. In typical grant postings, that often signals the final award amount and structure may depend on the scope of the proposed work and negotiations rather than a fixed per-award range.

17. Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to organizations that are official partners in the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU Program. The announcement explicitly restricted applicants to participating partners rather than opening eligibility broadly to all institutions.

18. What is a CESU in the context of this opportunity?

CESUs are collaborative partnerships intended to deliver research, technical assistance, and education to meet public resource management needs. This opportunity was offered through the CESU network, specifically the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU.

19. Where could applicants find the full opportunity details?

The announcement referenced Grants.gov as the primary source for the full opportunity details.

20. What were the key dates for this opportunity?

The posting date and creation date were June 29, 2015. The original (and final) closing date was July 17, 2015. The archive date was September 29, 2015.

21. Is this opportunity still open?

No. The closing date listed was July 17, 2015, and the opportunity was archived on September 29, 2015.

22. Who was the contact person for questions or help accessing the announcement?

The listed contact was Faith Graves. Phone: 703-648-7356. Email: fgraves@usgs.gov.

23. What type of grant was this listed as?

It was posted as a discretionary grant on Grants.gov and structured as a Cooperative Agreement under the CESU network.

24. What river system is being studied and why is it important?

The St. Clair-Detroit Rivers System (SCDRS) is the focal system. It is described as a major connecting channel that influences fish populations and ecosystem dynamics in the broader region, including western Lake Erie, making it important for understanding recruitment, survival, and habitat-driven outcomes at larger spatial scales.