Opportunity Information: Apply for G15AS00055
Apply for G15AS00055
- The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Gulf Coast CESU" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808 U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2015 and posted on Mar 23, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 6, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $235,995.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This financial assistance opportunity is being issued under a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. CESUs are partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education. Eligible recipients must be a participating partner of the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G15AS00055) was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically the Gulf Coast CESU. It was offered as a cooperative agreement in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category, with an estimated total funding amount of $235,995 and an expectation of making one award. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. The announcement was posted on March 23, 2015, and closed on April 6, 2015 (and was later archived on June 23, 2015). Eligibility was limited to organizations that are official partners in the Gulf Coast CESU network, reflecting the CESU model of collaborative research, technical assistance, and education between federal agencies and partner institutions.
The core purpose of the project was to reduce uncertainty about how rapidly Arctic shelf ecosystems may be shifting as sea ice declines. The solicitation focuses on the widely discussed concern that diminishing Arctic sea ice could drive a transition from benthic-dominated food webs (where energy ends up on the seafloor and supports bottom-dwelling organisms) to more pelagic-dominated food webs (where energy is increasingly consumed in the water column). That shift matters to the Department of the Interior and other managers because several high-profile Arctic animals, including walrus and eiders, rely heavily on benthic prey, especially bivalves. Sea ice is believed to support strong benthic production by helping deliver surface-generated organic material to the seafloor, while longer open-water periods can favor extended phytoplankton blooms and more zooplankton grazing that diverts production toward pelagic consumers instead of sinking to the bottom. Despite the importance of this mechanism, managers have struggled to quantify the pace and magnitude of any decline in benthic production, which makes planning and conservation decisions harder.
To address this, the funded research was designed to reconstruct annual, exactly dated indicators of benthic production using bivalve shells as natural archives. The target species were Serripes groenlandicus and Nuculana radiata. The work would develop chronologies from annually resolved growth increments in these shells, treating the year-to-year growth record as a proxy for benthic production conditions over time. A major deliverable was the integration of these shell-derived growth time series with satellite-derived sea ice records, with the explicit goal of building a predictive relationship between sea ice conditions and benthic production as reflected in bivalve growth. In other words, the project aimed to connect what can be measured consistently from space (sea ice dynamics) to what is much harder to track across years and large areas in the field (benthic productivity), using shell chronologies as the bridge.
In addition to growth measurements, the project also proposed stable isotope analysis to determine the relative contributions of two major sources of primary production that ultimately feed benthic organisms: sea ice algae and open-water phytoplankton. By comparing isotope signatures in the bivalves, the research would clarify how the bivalves are being fueled over time and whether changes in sea ice are altering the balance between ice-associated production and pelagic production. This matters because it helps distinguish not just whether bivalve growth changes, but why it changes, which is critical for interpreting trends and for building credible predictive models.
A further applied component of the work was translating biological changes into management-relevant metrics for predators. The solicitation notes that changes in bivalve size would be converted into differences in caloric content available to predators such as walrus and eiders. This step is important because it turns shell growth patterns and isotope data into an estimate of energetic consequences, helping managers understand what a change in benthic conditions might mean for the food base of species of concern. Finally, by combining these products with model projections of future sea ice cover, the project aimed to forecast the pace of benthic-to-pelagic community shifts, clarify the mechanisms behind those shifts, and provide something like an early warning system for DOI-managed species and habitats tied to benthic productivity.
Administrative details included a grants.gov listing and a point of contact for access issues: Faith Graves (703-648-7356, fgraves@usgs.gov). The CFDA program associated with the opportunity was 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is G15AS00055.
Which federal agency issued this funding opportunity?
This opportunity was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
What program and CESU network is this opportunity associated with?
It was issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically the Gulf Coast CESU.
What type of funding instrument was used?
The opportunity was offered as a cooperative agreement.
What category does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is in the Science and Technology / Research and Development category.
How much funding was expected to be available?
The estimated total funding amount was $235,995.
How many awards was USGS expecting to make?
USGS expected to make one award.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted?
The announcement was posted on March 23, 2015.
When did the opportunity close?
The opportunity closed on April 6, 2015.
Was the opportunity later archived?
Yes. It was later archived on June 23, 2015.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was limited to organizations that are official partners in the Gulf Coast CESU network.
Why was eligibility limited to Gulf Coast CESU partners?
The eligibility limitation reflects the CESU model of collaborative research, technical assistance, and education between federal agencies and partner institutions.
What was the main purpose of the project?
The core purpose was to reduce uncertainty about how rapidly Arctic shelf ecosystems may be shifting as sea ice declines.
What ecosystem shift was the solicitation concerned about?
The solicitation highlighted concern that diminishing Arctic sea ice could drive a transition from benthic-dominated food webs to more pelagic-dominated food webs.
What does "benthic-dominated" versus "pelagic-dominated" mean in this context?
Benthic-dominated refers to energy and production ending up on the seafloor and supporting bottom-dwelling organisms. Pelagic-dominated refers to energy increasingly being consumed in the water column.
Why does a benthic-to-pelagic shift matter for management?
It matters because several high-profile Arctic animals, including walrus and eiders, rely heavily on benthic prey, especially bivalves. A shift away from benthic production can affect their food base.
How is sea ice connected to benthic production in the opportunity description?
Sea ice is believed to support strong benthic production by helping deliver surface-generated organic material to the seafloor. Longer open-water periods can favor extended phytoplankton blooms and more zooplankton grazing, which diverts production toward pelagic consumers instead of sinking to the bottom.
What problem were managers facing that this project aimed to address?
Managers have struggled to quantify the pace and magnitude of any decline in benthic production, which makes planning and conservation decisions harder. The project aimed to provide exactly dated, annual indicators to reduce that uncertainty.
What approach did the project propose to measure benthic production over time?
The project was designed to reconstruct annual, exactly dated indicators of benthic production using bivalve shells as natural archives, based on annually resolved growth increments.
Which bivalve species were targeted for shell chronologies?
The target species were Serripes groenlandicus and Nuculana radiata.
What is meant by building "chronologies" from shells?
Chronologies refer to time series developed from annually resolved growth increments in bivalve shells, producing a year-to-year growth record that can be interpreted over multiple years.
How would shell growth be used as a proxy in this project?
The year-to-year growth record in the shells would be treated as a proxy for benthic production conditions over time.
What was a major planned deliverable involving satellite data?
A major deliverable was integrating shell-derived growth time series with satellite-derived sea ice records to build a predictive relationship between sea ice conditions and benthic production as reflected in bivalve growth.
Why integrate satellite sea ice records with bivalve growth data?
The goal was to connect something that can be measured consistently from space (sea ice dynamics) to something much harder to track across years and large areas in the field (benthic productivity), using shell chronologies as the bridge.
Did the project include stable isotope analysis?
Yes. In addition to growth measurements, the project proposed stable isotope analysis.
What was the purpose of the stable isotope analysis?
The isotope work was intended to determine the relative contributions of two major sources of primary production that feed benthic organisms: sea ice algae and open-water phytoplankton.
How would isotope data help interpret changes in bivalve growth?
By comparing isotope signatures in the bivalves, the research would clarify how the bivalves are being fueled over time and whether changes in sea ice are altering the balance between ice-associated production and pelagic production. This helps distinguish not just whether growth changes, but why it changes.
How would the project translate biological findings into management-relevant metrics?
The solicitation described converting changes in bivalve size into differences in caloric content available to predators such as walrus and eiders, linking benthic changes to energetic consequences for species of concern.
What predators were specifically mentioned in relation to caloric impacts?
Walrus and eiders were specifically mentioned.
Did the project aim to forecast future ecosystem shifts?
Yes. By combining the biological products with model projections of future sea ice cover, the project aimed to forecast the pace of benthic-to-pelagic community shifts and clarify mechanisms behind those shifts.
Was an "early warning" concept part of the intended outcomes?
Yes. The opportunity described providing something like an early warning system for DOI-managed species and habitats tied to benthic productivity.
Where was the opportunity listed administratively?
It included a grants.gov listing.
Who was the point of contact for grants.gov access issues?
Faith Graves was listed as the point of contact for access issues. Phone: 703-648-7356. Email: fgraves@usgs.gov.
What CFDA program number was associated with this opportunity?
The associated CFDA program was 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection).
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