Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Piedmont â¿¿ South Atlantic Coast CESU | G17AS00075

Opportunity Information: Apply for G17AS00075

This funding opportunity, titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Piedmont - South Atlantic Coast CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G17AS00075), was issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and is administered through the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center located in Davie, Florida. It is a discretionary research award structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the USGS is expected to be actively involved with the recipient during the project rather than simply issuing funds with minimal interaction. The program falls under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category, and it is associated with CFDA number 15.808.

The purpose of the award is to support genetic analyses of biological samples collected from threatened and endangered sea turtles. The dataset is described as substantial and diverse, consisting primarily of skin (tissue) and blood samples. These samples were collected from sea turtles involved in multiple USGS-supported projects spanning the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean region. The collection effort is tied to prior field studies, including nest monitoring and mark-recapture work, which already provide baseline or preliminary insights into key population attributes such as abundance, reproductive parameters, and the degree of connectivity between nesting and foraging groups.

What makes this opportunity particularly focused is that it is meant to unlock additional value from an existing, intensively collected archive of samples representing multiple species and populations. Because the sampling has been extensive, the USGS now has a large backlog of biological material that can be used to answer bigger regional questions that are difficult to resolve with field observations alone. The genetic work funded under this award is intended to estimate effective population size for the sampled assemblages and to better understand connectivity among groups, which generally refers to how individuals and their genes move among rookeries, foraging areas, or management units over time. In practical terms, this type of analysis can help clarify whether populations are demographically or genetically isolated, how strongly different nesting beaches contribute to mixed foraging aggregations, and which subpopulations may be most vulnerable due to small effective size or limited gene flow.

Eligibility is limited to CESU partners under the Piedmont - South Atlantic Coast CESU framework, with the listing indicating "Others" and directing applicants to additional eligibility language in the full announcement. The funding details indicate an award ceiling of $29,100, with an expectation of a single award (Expected Awards: 1). The opportunity was created on June 21, 2017, with an original closing date of July 7, 2017, reflecting a relatively short application window typical of targeted cooperative agreements aimed at accomplishing a specific scientific task with an established partner network.

Overall, the grant is a small, targeted research investment designed to convert a large, previously collected set of sea turtle tissue and blood samples into actionable conservation science. By pairing genetic analysis with existing nest monitoring and mark-recapture context, the project aims to produce clearer estimates of effective population sizes and stronger evidence about connectivity across the Gulf, Atlantic, and Caribbean, information that is commonly used to inform threat assessments, recovery planning, and regional management decisions for protected sea turtle populations.

• The Department of the Interior, Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Piedmont â¿¿ South Atlantic Coast 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 Jun 21, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 07, 2017. (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 $29,100.00 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 G17AS00075

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