Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU funding opportunity (USGS Funding Opportunity Number G14AS00097) is a discretionary, science and technology research cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the USGS Alaska Science Center. The project focuses on understanding how polar bears in the Chukchi Sea and the southern Beaufort Sea are changing their behavior in response to the ongoing loss and seasonal reduction of sea ice habitat. USGS frames this work as part of a broader effort to clarify the mechanisms linking sea ice conditions to polar bear health, reproduction, and survival, with particular attention to how changing foraging opportunities affect body condition and, in turn, cub survival and population outcomes.

At the center of the proposed study is the idea that sea ice loss may reduce access to productive hunting areas where polar bears typically prey on ice-associated seals. As the duration and extent of sea ice cover declines, polar bears may spend less time in habitats where seals are available, leading to fewer successful hunts, poorer body condition, and downstream reproductive impacts. The opportunity is designed to test behavioral responses that could either help bears conserve energy or, conversely, force them to spend more energy in a more difficult environment. USGS highlights two competing (and not mutually exclusive) responses: polar bears might reduce activity, especially during the annual sea ice minimum, to save energy when searching for prey becomes too costly relative to the likely payoff; or polar bears might increase activity to travel to land-based resting or denning areas, or to search more widely across a fragmented ice landscape for scattered food resources.

To evaluate these potential responses, the project proposes analyzing long-term activity sensor data collected from satellite collars deployed on adult female polar bears across multiple decades, spanning the 1980s through the 2000s. The intent is to use this unusually extensive dataset to characterize seasonal and diurnal (day-night) activity patterns and to compare patterns across populations and habitat contexts. Because the dataset is described as one of the largest and longest-running activity records available for polar bears, USGS positions it as a rare chance to examine how behavior varies over time and space and how those variations may be associated with changing sea ice conditions. In practical terms, the research would likely involve linking collar-based activity metrics to season, geography, habitat type, and sea ice characteristics, with the goal of identifying consistent shifts in activity that correspond to periods of reduced ice availability.

Administratively, the award is expected to result in one cooperative agreement, with an estimated total funding amount of $65,000 and no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The funding activity category is listed as science and technology and other research and development, and the CFDA listing is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection). Eligibility is limited to organizations that are official participating partners in the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, reflecting the CESU model of collaborative research partnerships that support research, technical assistance, and education. Key dates for the notice include a posted date of June 12, 2014, an original closing date of June 23, 2014, and a current closing date of July 11, 2014, with an archive date of September 12, 2014. The notice also provides a Grants.gov link for full details and lists Faith Graves (fgraves@usgs.gov, 703-648-7356) as the contact for assistance accessing the announcement electronically.

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