Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) | G25AS00346

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a US Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement. It is focused on practical, science-driven support for Great Lakes coastal ecosystem restoration, with USGS and the selected partner working closely together.

What is the opportunity number and CFDA listing?

The opportunity number is G25AS00346. It is listed under CFDA 15.808 and is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to participating partners of the Great Lakes-Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program. The opportunity is intended specifically for an affiliated partner within that CESU network.

What agency is issuing the opportunity?

The issuing agency is the US Geological Survey (USGS), identified as "Geological Survey" in the posting.

What is the application deadline?

The closing date listed for this opportunity is 2025-09-22.

What is the maximum award amount?

The posting lists an award ceiling of $493,039.

How long can the project be supported?

The award is designed to support work for up to four years.

What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement indicates substantial involvement by USGS during the project. In this case, the opportunity explicitly describes USGS and the selected CESU partner working side by side, rather than a hands-off grant relationship.

What is the overall purpose of the project?

The larger purpose is to generate information that resource managers can use to make better decisions in the Great Lakes nearshore and coastal environment. The description emphasizes restoring native fish populations and managing the recurring nuisance alga Cladophora.

What ecosystem problem is a central focus of this work?

A central focus is understanding and forecasting the growth and persistence of the nuisance alga Cladophora, including how it is influenced by nutrients, light, invasive dreissenid mussels (zebra and quagga mussels), and interactions with native fish communities across the Great Lakes basin.

What are the three main goals described for the project?

The project is framed around building monitoring and modeling capacity through three tightly linked goals:

• Expanding capacity to use environmental DNA (eDNA) tools to detect beneficial species (such as native fish of restoration interest) and potentially harmful species (such as newly arriving invasive species).
• Continuing benthic (lake-bottom) data collection while improving the types and consistency of field data needed to build stronger predictive models.
• Advancing hydrodynamic model development to interpret eDNA detections in context, including how water movement, mixing, and nearshore transport affect DNA signals and how nuisance/invasive species may spread.

How is environmental DNA (eDNA) expected to be used in this project?

eDNA is intended to expand detection capacity for species that are beneficial (including native fish important to restoration) as well as species that could be harmful, such as newly arriving invasive species. The project also emphasizes linking eDNA detections to hydrodynamic context so detections can be interpreted relative to nearshore transport and mixing.

What kinds of field data are emphasized?

The opportunity emphasizes continuing benthic (lake-bottom) data collection and improving the types and consistency of field data used for predictive model development. It also highlights pairing traditional surveys with newer molecular tools like eDNA.

Why are hydrodynamic models included as part of the scope?

Hydrodynamic models are included to help interpret eDNA detections by accounting for water movement, mixing, and nearshore transport. This helps clarify where DNA signals appear, how they might shift with physical conditions, and how nuisance or invasive aquatic species may spread.

How does this work relate to prior efforts mentioned in the description?

The cooperative agreement builds directly on work underway since 2018 that tracked Cladophora abundance at sentinel sites. That monitoring identified relationships between Cladophora biomass and light availability, nutrient conditions, and invasive dreissenid mussels, and it has been used by Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Task Teams and ecosystem modeling groups.

What is the geographic scope described?

The opportunity focuses on the Great Lakes basin, including nearshore and coastal environments. It also notes extending concepts to additional Great Lakes, including urban coastal regions and other heavily impacted areas where Cladophora overgrowth is frequent.

What stressors or drivers are highlighted as important for Cladophora growth?

The description highlights nutrients, light, invasive dreissenid mussels (zebra and quagga mussels), and interactions with native fish communities as key factors shaping Cladophora growth across the Great Lakes basin.

What role do dreissenid mussels play in the issues this project is addressing?

Dreissenid mussels are described as a key influence on Cladophora dynamics and nutrient conditions. The project is expected to clarify how these mussels alter nutrient cycling in ways that can encourage algal resurgence.

What kinds of modeling approaches are referenced?

The opportunity references chemical and biophysical modeling that connects biological observations to physical and chemical coastal processes. It also specifically mentions approaches that account for differences between nutrients in surface waters and nutrients concentrated near the bottom in a benthic boundary layer, along with hydrodynamic model development.

What practical outcomes are expected from the datasets and models?

The description states that datasets and models are expected to support more reliable forecasts of Cladophora growth, improve understanding of how nuisance and harmful algae are transported and where they persist, clarify mussel-driven nutrient cycling impacts, and identify management-relevant opportunities to improve habitat for native fish communities.

How will this work support decision-making by resource managers?

The project is designed to produce defensible, usable information for management decisions, especially for native fish restoration planning and for managing recurring Cladophora problems. The prior dataset usage by Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Task Teams and modeling groups is highlighted as evidence that outputs are already feeding into regional coordination and management conversations.

Are there data quality requirements?

Yes. Before work begins, the recipient is expected to submit a summary of quality assurance procedures and considerations for each project element to USGS for review and approval. The opportunity describes data quality and usability for decision-making as non-negotiable.

When must quality assurance procedures be submitted?

The description states that the summary of quality assurance procedures and considerations is expected to be submitted before work begins, for USGS review and approval.

What types of species detection are included in the scope?

The scope includes detection of beneficial species (such as native fish of restoration interest) and potentially harmful species (such as newly arriving invasive species), using eDNA tools alongside other monitoring approaches.

Does the opportunity address rapid change in nearshore conditions?

Yes. A major theme is connecting biological observations to physical and chemical coastal processes, especially in nearshore zones where conditions can change quickly over short distances.