Cooperative Agreement issued to Partner of the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. | G21AS00326

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this grant opportunity?

This is a US Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative agreement funding opportunity to support targeted research on Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Great Lakes, with the main focus on Lake Erie.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G21AS00326.

Which agency is offering this funding?

The funding is offered by the US Geological Survey (USGS).

What type of award is it?

It is a discretionary funding opportunity issued as a cooperative agreement, which means substantial involvement and coordination with USGS is expected during the project.

What is the main conservation or management problem being addressed?

The project addresses the invasive threat posed by Grass Carp in the Great Lakes. The opportunity notes that the concern is no longer theoretical because reproductively capable adults have been captured and eggs and larvae have been found in Lake Erie tributaries, indicating real invasion pressure and a pathway toward establishment.

Why is Grass Carp considered a serious risk in the Great Lakes?

The opportunity cites a binational Ecological Risk Assessment that views Grass Carp as a serious invasive threat. It also points to direct evidence of invasion pressure in the Lake Erie system (adults, eggs, and larvae), which increases concern about establishment.

What are the potential impacts if Grass Carp establish in the Great Lakes?

The opportunity highlights ecological risks (including damage to fisheries and food webs) and also emphasizes major economic stakes, citing an estimate that establishment could drive losses exceeding 2 billion dollars over the next decade.

What geographic area is the project focused on?

The work is focused on the Great Lakes, with the main emphasis on Lake Erie and its nearshore waters and tributary environments.

What management framework guides the research priorities for this award?

The work is framed around management needs identified through the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries (JSP). JSP partners used a structured decision-making (SDM) approach to identify the most urgent information needs for eradication and control actions.

Why is Congress funding this work through USGS?

The announcement states that Congress provided funding to USGS specifically to advance Grass Carp research aligned with JSP objectives.

What kind of research is prioritized in this opportunity?

The opportunity emphasizes acoustic telemetry as a priority tool to provide real-world information on Grass Carp movements, timing, habitat use, and survival in the system.

Is early life stage monitoring part of this opportunity?

Early life stage monitoring is described as part of the broader effort, but this specific opportunity places particular emphasis on acoustic telemetry and the kinds of management-relevant insights telemetry can provide.

What is GLATOS and how does it fit into the project?

GLATOS is the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System, a regional detection network used to detect tagged fish. A central feature of the project is leveraging and expanding GLATOS to improve telemetry coverage relevant to Grass Carp management in Lake Erie.

What telemetry coverage gap is the opportunity trying to address?

The announcement highlights that nearshore waters and tributary environments are not monitored as thoroughly as offshore/open-water areas. Those under-sampled areas are important because managers are more likely to intercept fish for removal there and because spawning-related movements may occur in those zones.

What is the project expected to produce for managers?

The project is expected to produce timely, decision-ready analyses based on telemetry detections, supporting eradication and control decisions by clarifying where fish move, when they move, what habitats they use, and how long tagged individuals survive.

What are the specific objectives listed in the announcement?

The announcement lists four objectives: (1) support expansion of the GLATOS acoustic telemetry network by establishing new monitoring stations to improve information on Grass Carp movements in Lake Erie; (2) evaluate acoustic receiver performance in nearshore and inshore environments; (3) quantify survival and periodically estimate how many tagged fish remain at large, including providing these estimates as needed to support active management decisions; and (4) develop quantitative analyses of seasonal movement patterns and habitat use to identify key places and times for effective interception for eradication or control.

Why is evaluating receiver performance an objective?

The opportunity notes that detection ranges and reliability can change in nearshore and inshore environments due to factors such as depth, vegetation, substrate, noise, and water conditions. Understanding performance in these conditions is important for interpreting telemetry detections and for designing effective monitoring coverage.

What does "estimating how many tagged fish remain at large" mean in this context?

Within the scope of the announcement, it refers to periodically estimating how many tagged Grass Carp are still present in the system (and not removed or otherwise lost), and providing those estimates on an as-needed basis to support active management decisions.

How does this work support eradication or control actions?

By analyzing seasonal movement patterns and habitat use, the project aims to identify key places and times when Grass Carp can be most effectively intercepted for eradication or control, especially in nearshore and tributary areas where removals are more likely to occur and spawning-related movements may happen.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is science and technology and other research and development.

What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.808.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is restricted to partners of the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program.

Why is eligibility restricted to CESU partners?

The announcement indicates the restriction reflects the CESU model, where universities and other partners collaborate with federal agencies to deliver research, technical assistance, and education.

What is the maximum award amount?

The posted award ceiling is 500,000 dollars.

When was the opportunity created and when did it close?

The opportunity was created on February 10, 2021, and the original closing date was March 23, 2021.

Does this opportunity require coordination with USGS during the project?

Yes. Because it is a cooperative agreement, the announcement specifies that substantial involvement and coordination with USGS is expected rather than a hands-off, pass-through award.

What kinds of environments are emphasized for new monitoring coverage?

The opportunity emphasizes expanding coverage into nearshore waters and tributary environments in Lake Erie, which are described as under-sampled compared to offshore/open-water areas and particularly relevant for interception and spawning-related movement monitoring.