Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | G17AS00017

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) funding opportunity for the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU, administered by the US Geological Survey (USGS). The project focus is research and development aimed at understanding why several Lake Superior Coregonus (whitefish) species have had weak or inconsistent recruitment.

Which agency is offering and administering the award?

The opportunity is administered by the US Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior (DOI).

What is the main research problem the project is trying to solve?

The project is centered on a long-running biological and management concern: Lake Superior Coregonus stocks have shown poor recruitment for many years. Current population structure suggests only a small number of year classes are strongly represented, implying that successful recruitment is intermittent and that survival is being suppressed in many years between spawning and the juvenile stage.

What does "recruitment" mean in the context of this project?

In this context, recruitment refers to how many fish successfully survive from early life stages (after spawning) to the point where they begin to appear in surveys and contribute to the population. The opportunity emphasizes that failures during egg development and larval survival can strongly limit how many fish ultimately enter the population.

Which fish species are specifically targeted in the announcement?

The target species named are Coregonus artedi, Coregonus hoyi, and Coregonus kiyi. These species are important components of the Lake Superior fish community and are relevant to broader management concerns such as commercial harvest and population sustainability.

Why is the project focused on early life stages?

The announcement highlights early life stages (egg development and larval survival) because problems at these stages can create major "bottlenecks" that limit recruitment. If eggs fail to develop successfully or larvae do not survive, few fish will make it into later life stages even if adult spawning occurs.

What evidence does the announcement cite for weak or inconsistent recruitment?

The opportunity notes that, based on annual spring surveys of age-1 fish and age analysis from agency assessments and commercial fishery catches, the population is dominated by just a few cohorts. The cohorts specifically cited are those produced in 1998, 2003, 2005, and 2009.

What does a "gapped" year-class pattern imply?

A "gapped" year-class pattern suggests that conditions needed for strong recruitment occur only intermittently. It also suggests that some environmental or ecosystem factors periodically suppress survival between spawning and the juvenile stage, leading to many weak year classes and only occasional strong ones.

What factors are suspected to be linked to recruitment success or failure?

While the exact cause of the recruitment decline is described as unknown, the announcement highlights winter conditions, especially ice cover, as a suspected influence. The notice points to an apparent connection between winter ice conditions and whether a year class succeeds or fails.

Why are winter ice conditions considered important in this opportunity?

Winter ice and water temperature regimes in Lake Superior have shifted over the last two decades. The announcement suggests these changes could affect incubation conditions for eggs, the timing of hatching, food availability for larvae, and exposure to predators or other stressors, all of which can influence early survival and recruitment.

What kinds of research activities are expected to be supported?

The work is expected to combine field and laboratory approaches. Field work may include collecting eggs or larvae, monitoring spawning or incubation habitats, and measuring environmental conditions such as temperature and potentially ice-related variables. Laboratory components may be used to control and test specific factors affecting development and survival, such as temperature thresholds or timing of development.

Is the project intended to be monitoring-only, or does it need to produce management-relevant findings?

The overall intent described is not just descriptive monitoring. The opportunity emphasizes producing actionable insight into the bottlenecks that limit recruitment, particularly by linking changing climate-related conditions (ice and temperature patterns) to measurable outcomes in egg development and larval survival.

What is the funding instrument type, and what does it imply?

The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This generally indicates that USGS expects substantial involvement during the project, such as coordination, data sharing, or collaboration on study design and execution, rather than providing funds with minimal interaction.

What is the opportunity number for this grant?

The opportunity number is G17AS00017.

What is the CFDA number listed in the announcement?

The CFDA number listed is 15.808.

What activity category does this opportunity fall under?

The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

How much funding is available, and how many awards are expected?

The award ceiling is $150,000, and the announcement indicates an expectation of one award.

When was the opportunity posted, and what was the original closing date?

The posting indicates it was created on November 17, 2016, with an original closing date of December 2, 2016.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others." The announcement notes that applicants should consult the additional eligibility language in the full announcement for clarification, which is typical for CESU opportunities that often involve partnerships among universities, agencies, and other qualified research entities.

How does this project fit into other Lake Superior Coregonus work?

The announcement places the project within a larger collaborative management and research context. It notes that the USGS Lake Superior Biological Station and state, federal, tribal, and international partners already have multiple efforts underway related to Coregonus, including evaluating commercial harvest of adult fish and investigating drivers of poor recruitment. This opportunity is positioned as a complementary project focused specifically on early-life-stage dynamics.

What broader management concerns are tied to this research?

The target Coregonus species are described as important to the Lake Superior fish community and relevant to commercial harvest and long-term population sustainability. The research is intended to help management agencies better understand what is limiting population replenishment and how changing winter conditions might affect future recruitment.