Cooperative Agreement for CESU Partner with North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G21AS00292

Opportunity Information: Apply for G21AS00292

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a discretionary cooperative agreement under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program to support research tied to the North Atlantic Coast CESU partnership. The work is centered on reconstructing past marine climate conditions, tropical storm activity, and sea-level variability in the tropical western Atlantic, with the intent of strengthening and complementing ongoing research at the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC). By building paleoclimate and paleo-storm records, the project aims to clarify how natural climate variability has influenced coastal systems in the past, which can then be used to improve present-day ecological and societal planning, especially as coastal communities face increasing risks from climate change and sea-level rise.

The research focus is strongly methods-driven and relies on established geochemical and geochronological approaches. One major objective is to analyze storm-deposited coral skeletons from south Florida to reconstruct tropical storm activity during the late Holocene. This includes diagenetic screening using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to evaluate how much the coral material has been altered after deposition, which is critical because altered samples can produce misleading age results. After screening, the project calls for uranium-series (U-series) dating of the coral material to establish a reliable timeline of storm deposition events. Depending on what the initial dating and preservation assessments show, additional geochemical measurements such as stable isotope ratios may also be performed to extract more information about environmental conditions at the time the corals formed and were deposited.

A second major objective is to conduct similar diagenetic screening (again using XRD) and U-series dating on Quaternary carbonate materials from the western Atlantic to support sea-level reconstructions. In practice, this kind of work helps determine when carbonate deposits formed relative to past sea levels, providing dated benchmarks that can be used to infer sea-level positions and variability over Quaternary timescales. Together, the storm and sea-level components are designed to produce records that improve understanding of baseline natural variability, which is essential for separating human-driven trends from background changes and for anticipating how future conditions may impact coastal ecosystems and infrastructure.

This opportunity is issued specifically through the CESU mechanism, which is structured to promote collaborative research, technical assistance, and educational engagement between federal agencies and partner institutions. Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners in the North Atlantic Coast CESU Program, reflecting the program goal of leveraging existing cooperative networks rather than running an open competition to all applicants.

Key administrative details from the notice include the opportunity title "Cooperative Agreement for CESU Partner with North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit," funding opportunity number G21AS00292, and CFDA number 15.808. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning the USGS is expected to have substantial involvement during the performance of the project compared with a standard grant. The activity category is listed as Science and Technology and other Research and Development. The posted award ceiling is $100,000. The notice shows an original closing date of February 19, 2021, and a creation date of February 2, 2021.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for CESU Partner with North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2021-02-02.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-02-19. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G21AS00292

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