Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Great Lakes Northern Forests | G19AS00071

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00071

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Great Lakes Northern Forests funding opportunity (Opportunity Number G19AS00071) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research grant offered through the Department of the Interior as a discretionary cooperative agreement. It was created on July 8, 2019, with an original application deadline of July 22, 2019. The program anticipated making one award, with funding up to $100,000, under CFDA number 15.808. Eligibility is limited to qualifying CESU partners (the listing notes "Others" and points applicants to the additional eligibility details in the full announcement), meaning this is not an open competition for the general public but a targeted opportunity within the CESU network.

The core purpose of the project is to support science and technology research that helps explain why a threatened coral species, Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata), appears to persist and grow particularly well in Dry Tortugas National Park. USGS is seeking research that examines both biological and oceanographic processes that may be driving this unusual success. Dry Tortugas is treated as a potentially important stronghold for the species, and the work is framed not only as a local study but as research with broader implications for recovery of Acropora palmata across the western Atlantic. In other words, the project is meant to investigate whether the conditions and/or coral populations in Dry Tortugas could contribute to regional restoration and conservation efforts beyond the park itself.

The opportunity emphasizes why this species matters to people and coastal ecosystems. Elkhorn coral is a major builder of the reef crest zone, which acts as a natural barrier that reduces wave energy and helps protect shorelines. That same reef structure supports fisheries and the broader productivity of reef-associated marine communities, making it tightly connected to food security, livelihoods, and the stability of coastal communities across U.S. states and territories. The grant is positioned against the ongoing decline of coral reefs, highlighting that these habitats continue to degrade even as their protective and economic value remains high.

From a deliverables and outcomes perspective, the announcement points to two main scientific products. First, the study is expected to generate new data that help explain why Acropora palmata growth rates are substantially higher in Dry Tortugas than in other Florida locations. Second, the research is expected to produce a model that predicts trophic partitioning, essentially how corals in that environment obtain and divide resources within the food web (for example, the balance between energy gained through symbiotic photosynthesis and energy obtained by capturing food particles, and how these pathways may shift with local conditions). Together, these outputs are intended to move beyond description and into predictive understanding, giving managers tools that can be applied to decision-making.

The management relevance is a central theme throughout the opportunity description. The results are meant to inform coral reef management and restoration planning, including how to anticipate and prepare for future stressors such as rising temperature extremes and storm impacts. By identifying the processes that support coral persistence and rapid growth in a unique setting like Dry Tortugas, the project aims to provide evidence that can shape restoration strategies, prioritize actions, and improve forecasts of reef condition under changing climate and disturbance regimes.

• The Department of the Interior, U. S. Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Great Lakes Northern Forests" 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 Jul 08, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 22, 2019. (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.
• 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).

Apply for G19AS00071

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: