Opportunity Information: Apply for P18AS00403
The grant opportunity titled "Long Term Monitoring of Selected Coral Reef Sites in Dry Tortugas" (Funding Opportunity Number P18AS00403) is a National Park Service project under the U.S. Department of the Interior focused on building and maintaining a long-running, science-based picture of coral reef health in Dry Tortugas National Park. The central aim is not a one-time survey, but an ongoing monitoring effort designed to detect long-term status and trends across both common and rarer reef types, with an emphasis on benthic (seafloor) communities that form the foundation of the reef ecosystem. By repeatedly measuring the same types of indicators over time, the project is intended to support resource management decisions, identify emerging threats, and track whether conditions are improving or deteriorating.
At the core of the work is systematic benthic data collection that quantifies key coral community metrics. This includes measuring stony coral species richness (how many species are present), density (how many colonies per area), abundance, and spatial cover (how much of the seafloor is occupied by stony corals). The monitoring also expands beyond stony corals to capture benthic cover values for major taxonomic or functional groups that strongly influence reef condition and resilience. These groups include macroalgae, octocorals, sponges, and zoanthids, alongside stony corals. Tracking shifts in relative cover among these groups is important because changes can signal broader ecosystem transitions, such as coral decline coupled with algal expansion, or changes in habitat complexity that affect fish and invertebrate communities.
A major objective is to document coral condition and health stressors in a way that can be compared through time. The project evaluates both stony coral and octocoral condition, specifically noting the prevalence of disease and bleaching, along with observed or inferred causes of mortality. In practice, this type of monitoring helps managers understand not just that coral cover is changing, but why it is changing, whether outbreaks are localized or widespread, and whether particular species or sites are disproportionately affected.
The opportunity also includes targeted surveys for Diadema antillarum, the long-spined sea urchin, which plays an outsized ecological role on many Caribbean reefs by grazing algae and helping maintain space for coral recruitment and growth. Measuring Diadema abundance within the park is a way to track an important biological control on algal cover and to better interpret observed changes in the benthic community. If Diadema populations rise or fall, it can have cascading effects on reef recovery potential and overall benthic composition.
Another key component is the collection of in situ water temperature data at many sites. Rather than relying solely on regional or satellite-derived conditions, the project emphasizes site-level temperature measurements to evaluate how local thermal patterns influence benthic community structure. This is directly relevant to coral bleaching risk and recovery dynamics, since temperature anomalies are a primary driver of bleaching events and can interact with disease prevalence and mortality.
Finally, the project includes surveys specifically designed to assess how diving activity affects coral communities at designated Research Natural Area dive sites. This indicates an applied management angle: the National Park Service is not only monitoring natural and climate-related stressors, but also evaluating whether and how human use (such as recreational diving) is contributing to coral damage or changes in community condition. Results from this component can inform site management strategies such as visitor use guidelines, diver education, mooring and access planning, or targeted protection measures.
Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement, which typically implies substantial involvement by the National Park Service in coordinating, guiding, or collaborating on the funded work rather than a hands-off grant structure. The announced award ceiling is $450,000 with an expected single award. The listing notes CFDA number 15.954 under an environmental funding activity category. Importantly, the announcement is explicitly a Notice of Intent to Award, meaning it was posted for public notice that the agency intended to fund the project and it was not open for applications; no proposals were being accepted under this posting. The eligible applicants field is listed as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)," but because the opportunity was not open for competition, eligibility details would not function the way they do in an open solicitation.Apply for P18AS00403
- The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Long Term Monitoring of Selected Coral Reef Sites in Dry Tortugas" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.954.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 06, 2018.
- Applicants must submit their applications by This announcement is a Notice of Intent to Award and no applications will be accepted under this announcement. The purpose of this announcement is to provide public notice that the National Park Service intends to fund this project.. (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 $450,000.00 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).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and funding opportunity number for this grant?
The opportunity is titled "Long Term Monitoring of Selected Coral Reef Sites in Dry Tortugas" and the Funding Opportunity Number is P18AS00403.
Which agency is offering this opportunity?
This is a National Park Service (NPS) project under the U.S. Department of the Interior.
What is the main purpose of this project?
The project is designed to build and maintain a long-running, science-based picture of coral reef health in Dry Tortugas National Park. The intent is ongoing monitoring that can detect long-term status and trends, rather than a one-time survey.
Where will the work take place?
The work focuses on selected coral reef sites in Dry Tortugas National Park.
Is this project a one-time assessment or repeated monitoring?
It is an ongoing monitoring effort intended to repeatedly measure the same types of indicators over time so that trends can be detected and compared across years.
What part of the reef ecosystem is emphasized in the monitoring?
The monitoring emphasizes benthic (seafloor) communities, which form the foundation of the reef ecosystem.
What stony coral metrics will be measured?
The project includes systematic benthic data collection that quantifies key coral community metrics, including stony coral species richness, density (colonies per area), abundance, and spatial cover (how much of the seafloor is occupied by stony corals).
Does the monitoring look beyond stony corals?
Yes. In addition to stony corals, the project tracks benthic cover values for major taxonomic or functional groups that influence reef condition and resilience, including macroalgae, octocorals, sponges, and zoanthids.
Why track the relative cover of macroalgae, octocorals, sponges, and zoanthids?
Shifts in relative cover among these groups can signal broader ecosystem transitions, such as coral decline paired with algal expansion, and can reflect changes in habitat structure that affect other reef organisms.
What aspects of coral health and condition are assessed?
The project evaluates both stony coral and octocoral condition, including the prevalence of disease and bleaching, as well as observed or inferred causes of mortality.
Why is documenting disease, bleaching, and mortality causes part of the work?
Tracking these stressors helps managers interpret not only whether coral cover is changing, but why it is changing, whether impacts are localized or widespread, and whether particular species or sites are disproportionately affected over time.
What is the role of Diadema antillarum surveys in this project?
The opportunity includes targeted surveys for Diadema antillarum (the long-spined sea urchin) to measure its abundance within the park.
Why monitor Diadema antillarum abundance?
Diadema plays an important ecological role by grazing algae and helping maintain space for coral recruitment and growth. Changes in its population can influence algal cover and have cascading effects on reef recovery potential and benthic community composition.
Will the project collect water temperature data, and why?
Yes. The project includes collecting in situ (on-site) water temperature data at many sites to evaluate how local thermal patterns influence benthic community structure. This is relevant to coral bleaching risk and recovery dynamics.
How does site-level temperature data support the project goals?
By focusing on in situ measurements rather than relying only on regional or satellite-derived conditions, the monitoring can better relate local temperature patterns to observed bleaching, disease prevalence, mortality, and community shifts.
Does the project examine human impacts such as recreational diving?
Yes. The project includes surveys designed to assess how diving activity affects coral communities at designated Research Natural Area dive sites.
How could the diving-impact component be used by park managers?
Findings can inform management strategies such as visitor use guidelines, diver education, and planning for mooring or access, as well as targeted protection measures at affected sites.
What type of award instrument is expected?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary funding opportunity using a Cooperative Agreement.
What does it mean that this is a Cooperative Agreement?
As described, a Cooperative Agreement typically implies substantial involvement by the National Park Service in coordinating, guiding, or collaborating on the funded work, rather than a fully hands-off arrangement.
What is the award ceiling?
The announced award ceiling is $450,000.
How many awards are expected?
The listing indicates an expected single award.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity lists CFDA number 15.954 and identifies it under an environmental funding activity category.
Was this opportunity open for applications?
No. The announcement is explicitly a Notice of Intent to Award, meaning it was posted for public notice that the agency intended to fund the project and it was not open for applications. No proposals were being accepted under this posting.
What does "Notice of Intent to Award" mean for interested applicants?
Based on the posting, it means the agency had already indicated its intent to make an award and the notice was not a competitive solicitation. As a result, the notice was not accepting new applications or proposals.
Who is eligible to apply?
The eligible applicants field is listed as "Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification)." However, because the opportunity was not open for competition, eligibility functions differently than in an open solicitation and is not presented as an application pathway in this notice.
What management questions is the monitoring intended to support?
The monitoring is intended to support resource management decisions by identifying emerging threats, tracking whether conditions are improving or deteriorating, and providing comparable long-term data on reef status and trends across common and rarer reef types.
What kinds of reef types are included in the monitoring scope?
The monitoring is intended to detect long-term status and trends across both common and rarer reef types, based on repeated measurement of consistent indicators at selected sites.
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