Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | G19AS00064

Opportunity Information: Apply for G19AS00064

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Great Lakes Northern Forests funding opportunity (Opportunity Number G19AS00064) is a U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center research award aimed at improving how fishery managers understand and restore native prey fish communities in the Great Lakes. The project is framed around practical restoration needs in Lakes Ontario, Huron, and Michigan, where agencies are pursuing or considering actions to restore or boost native prey fishes. A central challenge for managers is that several native coregonines (a group that includes deepwater ciscoes, ciscoes, and whitefishes) are difficult to distinguish and classify because differences among species can be subtle. Those taxonomic uncertainties make it harder to decide which forms to prioritize for restoration, how to measure success, and how to anticipate ecosystem outcomes.

The work emphasizes two linked questions: what the physical (morphological) differences among native prey fish species really are, and whether those differences translate into meaningful ecological differences in the food web. Managers are specifically interested in functional separation among coregonines that look similar but may play different roles, such as feeding at different trophic levels or relying on different prey types. Another key management concern is how native prey fishes overlap in function with abundant non-native prey fishes, particularly alewife and rainbow smelt, which can occupy similar ecological niches and potentially affect restoration outcomes through competition or food-web restructuring.

To support the study, USGS and partner agencies have already collected and archived specimens of both native and non-native prey fish from multiple lakes, including Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Ontario. Rather than requiring new field sampling as the primary basis of the effort, the opportunity is built around making strong scientific use of these archived fish. The project’s stated objectives are threefold: first, to describe the morphology of native prey fishes in a way that can help clarify species boundaries and support consistent identification; second, to determine the functional role of both native and non-native prey fish species within each lake (in other words, how they fit into each lake’s food web); and third, to directly relate morphological traits to those functional roles, helping explain whether and how physical variation corresponds to differences in diet, trophic position, or ecological niche.

Administratively, this is a discretionary science and technology/research and development opportunity from the Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, offered through a cooperative agreement mechanism. It is associated with CFDA number 15.808 and was planned as a single award with an expected maximum federal funding amount (award ceiling) of $41,125. The posting shows a creation date of May 7, 2019, and an original closing date of May 21, 2019. Eligibility is listed broadly as “Others,” with additional eligibility details indicated as being provided in the full announcement’s eligibility section. Overall, the grant is designed to produce applied, management-relevant science that links fish form to fish function, improving decision-making for native prey fish restoration while accounting for the influence and overlap of non-native prey species in the Great Lakes.

• 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, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU" 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 May 07, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 21, 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 $41,125.00 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 G19AS00064

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