Aquatic Fauna Florida Everglades | W9126G 21 2 SOI 4382

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G 21 2 SOI 4382

The Aquatic Fauna Florida Everglades opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W9126G-21-2-SOI-3842) is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) request for Statements of Interest (not full proposals) to identify qualified investigators to carry out long-term wet season monitoring of aquatic fauna and primary production in the Florida Everglades. The work supports research and development under 10 U.S.C. 2358 and is tied directly to restoration performance tracking under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and the RECOVER program monitoring framework. The government expects to fund one award as a cooperative agreement, with an estimated 488,537.00 available for the 12-month base period and the potential for additional funding in later years through up to four optional 12-month extensions, depending on funding availability and performance.

Eligibility is limited to non-federal partners that are members of specific Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU): South Florida-Caribbean, Piedmont - South Atlantic Coast, or Gulf Coast. Because the award is expected to be a cooperative agreement, USACE anticipates substantial involvement with the recipient during project execution, and CESU terms (including the CESU Network indirect cost rate, noted as 17.5 percent) would apply if both parties authorize its use. The opportunity was posted by the Department of Defense, USACE Fort Worth District, and is managed in coordination with USACE research and planning staff supporting Everglades restoration science.

The scientific focus is grounded in the CERP trophic hypothesis: the idea that improving Everglades hydrology (depth, duration, flow, and distribution) in an oligotrophic system should increase wet season primary production (especially periphyton) and boost production of small aquatic prey (crayfish, small fishes, grass shrimp). Those prey resources then become concentrated in the dry season and help support higher trophic wildlife such as wading birds and alligators. A major emphasis is on periphyton because it sits at the base of the food web and responds strongly to hydrologic and nutrient stressors, including phosphorus. The opportunity highlights the importance of periphyton total phosphorus, diatom and algal community composition, biomass, and related multi-metric indicators used in RECOVER "stoplight" style ecosystem condition reporting. It also notes that while periphyton-phosphorus relationships are well studied in the Everglades, long-term responses to restoration actions under CERP, especially under changing climate conditions, still require ongoing monitoring to strengthen forecasting and verification of restoration performance.

The anticipated work is organized around several core objectives: establishing reference conditions and variability at both system-wide (pre-CERP baseline context) and project/regional scales; determining short-, medium-, and long-term trends in periphyton and aquatic prey; detecting unexpected ecosystem responses to changing stressors from CERP activities and climate; supporting related scientific investigations and tool development that improve interpretation of trends and surprises; and producing recurring summary reports for each funded period plus a final synoptic report at the end of the study. These reports are intended for dissemination by USACE for public education and potential academic use.

Field and lab tasks are described in substantial detail. For aquatic fauna, the recipient would sample wet season prey using a design based on primary sampling units grouped into landscape sampling units, following established Everglades sampling guidance (including a spatially balanced design approach). Sampling is to occur across the Water Conservation Areas and Everglades National Park during late wet season (roughly September through November), recording species counts and biomass (g/m2). Consistency with historical datasets is emphasized by specifying throw traps as the sampling method. This prey sampling is identified as an option-year task, meaning it may be activated in later years depending on funding and program priorities.

For periphyton, the work includes visiting roughly 120 to 190 sites during mid-wet season (approximately July to September), with a subset of about 50 to 60 sites revisited twice during the dry season (December to April). Sites are defined within primary sampling units (noted as 800 m2 areas) nested within landscape sampling units, using random coordinate selection and CERP quality assurance protocols. Sampling conditions are constrained to water depths between about 5 cm and 1 m and areas without dense macrophyte cover such as cattail stands, sawgrass ridges, or tree islands. Field collection requires triplicate periphyton samples using an enclosure trap, visual estimates of aerial cover, and biovolume measurements, followed by laboratory subsampling to quantify dry weight, ash-free dry mass (organic fraction), and chlorophyll a. The project also requires collecting site characterization data that help explain periphyton patterns, including water depth, water chemistry (pH and conductivity), plant cover and stem density, and soil depth to bedrock. Like the prey sampling, periphyton sampling is also identified as an option-year task, although the solicitation describes extensive periphyton analytical expectations overall.

Data analysis and reporting requirements are a central part of the scope. For periphyton, the expected outputs include chlorophyll a concentration, periphyton total phosphorus, mineral versus organic content, and detailed community composition analyses for soft algae and diatom assemblages. The solicitation specifically calls for metrics that support a multimetric index and stoplight indicator approach, including attention to non-calcareous diatoms and distinctions between endemic versus weedy community types. The base year is expected to include processing and identification for a large backlog or reference dataset described as more than 1,500 samples collected from 2012 through 2016, while option years may narrow the analytical focus to biomass, total phosphorus, chlorophyll, and mineral content unless otherwise specified. For aquatic fauna, the recipient must analyze species composition and biomass in relation to hydrologic and other abiotic/biotic drivers across local, regional, and system scales, and summarize mean wet-weight biomass (g/m2) for key prey groups, including crayfish (Procambarus fallax and Procambarus alleni), marsh fishes (all species combined), and grass shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus). The analysis is also expected to explicitly link wet season primary production and prey patterns to dry season prey concentrations and to higher trophic indicators such as wading bird and alligator abundance and nesting trends, using data collected by other investigators coordinated through RECOVER interagency teams.

Beyond field and analytical work, the principal investigator is expected to participate in regional coordination and reporting support, including working with the Greater Everglades Regional Team and coordinators to help develop upcoming RECOVER System Status Reports and Interim Goals and Interim Targets reporting. The solicitation also lists optional add-on tasks that could be funded later, such as expanding sampling into additional landscapes beyond the Water Conservation Areas and Everglades National Park (examples include areas like Big Cypress and other basins), assisting with updates to RECOVER performance measures related to prey-based fish density and periphyton phosphorus/edibility indicators, and targeted research to answer adaptive management questions such as movement of small and large fish between marshes and canals.

Application requirements are limited to a concise Statement of Interest/Qualifications package, capped at two pages, single-spaced, 12-point font, submitted by email. The statement must include basic organizational identifiers and contact information (including CAGE code and DUNS number, as requested), a brief qualifications narrative, a biographical sketch, short descriptions of relevant past projects/clients, information on staff/faculty/students and their expertise, and a short description of capabilities such as equipment and field or laboratory facilities. The solicitation explicitly states that a full technical proposal and a budget are not requested at this stage. Submissions are reviewed by a government board, and only the most suitable respondents will be invited to submit a full study proposal later.

Key dates and contacts are clearly laid out. The Statements of Interest were due by 5:00 PM Central Time on July 7, 2021, following a 30-day posting period. The listed points of contact are Ali Marshall (Contract Specialist, USACE Fort Worth District) and Greg Bonnell (Project Manager), with submissions directed via email to the addresses provided in the notice.

• The Department of Defense, Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Aquatic Fauna Florida Everglades" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.300.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 07, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 07, 2021. (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 $488,537.00 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 W9126G 21 2 SOI 4382

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