Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | G20AS00117

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title of this funding opportunity?

The funding opportunity is titled "Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU" (Funding Opportunity Number G20AS00117).

Which agency is offering this opportunity?

This opportunity was issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) within the Department of the Interior, through the USGS Great Lakes Science Center.

What type of award is being offered?

It is a discretionary science and technology research award offered as a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that this award is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement indicates the project is expected to be carried out with substantial involvement from USGS, rather than being conducted fully independently by the recipient.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is G20AS00117.

What is the CFDA number for this program?

The CFDA number associated with this program is 15.808.

When was this opportunity created?

The opportunity was created on June 30, 2020.

What was the original closing date?

The original closing date was July 22, 2020.

How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated making a single award.

What is the maximum funding amount available?

The award ceiling (maximum funding level) was $60,584.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to partners in the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, specifically within the Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU. The formal eligibility details are referenced in the opportunity's additional information field.

What is the overall purpose of the project?

The core purpose is to improve understanding of why survival of young fish in Lake Michigan varies dramatically from year to year, focusing on the larval stage when fish are especially sensitive to environmental conditions and food availability.

Which fish species are the focus of the research?

The project focuses on yellow perch and alewife, two species central to Great Lakes fisheries and ecosystem dynamics.

Why is the larval stage emphasized in this project?

The larval stage is emphasized because it is a period when fish are especially sensitive to environmental conditions and food availability, and small differences in feeding conditions can translate into large differences in survival and recruitment.

What problem is this research trying to solve?

Past observations have linked recruitment and survival to many climate-related variables, but the specific mechanisms and drivers behind strong versus weak year classes are still not well pinned down. This project is designed to produce a clearer, mechanistic explanation of how climate conditions translate into larval feeding success and survival outcomes.

Why do recruitment and early survival matter for fisheries?

Recruitment patterns shape future adult populations, which influence commercial and recreational fishing opportunities and broader ecosystem dynamics in Lake Michigan.

What economic importance is highlighted for Great Lakes fisheries?

The opportunity notes that Great Lakes sport fisheries are valued at an estimated $7 billion annually, and that yellow perch and alewife have historically supported major fisheries and continue to play significant roles.

What kind of research approach is being solicited?

The research is aimed at describing and quantifying the foraging success of larval yellow perch and alewife under both historical and future climate scenarios, using outputs from a linked modeling framework rather than relying on a single model or dataset.

What modeling components are expected in the linked framework?

The linked framework is expected to combine regional climate models, hydrodynamic models, biophysical models, and Lagrangian particle models.

What role do regional climate models play in the project?

Regional climate models are used to represent atmospheric and climate forcing that influences lake conditions relevant to larval fish feeding and survival.

What role do hydrodynamic models play in the project?

Hydrodynamic models are used to simulate lake circulation and temperature structure, which can influence where larvae are transported and what thermal and physical conditions they experience.

What role do biophysical models play in the project?

Biophysical models connect physical conditions in the lake to biological processes such as prey availability and growth, helping relate lake physics to larval feeding environments.

What role do Lagrangian particle models play in the project?

Lagrangian particle models represent transport and dispersal pathways and can serve as a proxy for larval drift and exposure to different feeding environments.

How does this project connect climate to larval survival?

By linking climate forcing to lake physics and then to prey dynamics and larval transport, the modeling framework is intended to connect climate conditions to the actual feeding conditions larvae experience, helping explain how climate translates into survival and recruitment outcomes.

What are the main objectives of the project?

The opportunity describes three main objectives: (1) evaluate which climatic variables and processes have historically been associated with strong versus weak recruitment events for alewife and yellow perch in Lake Michigan; (2) examine the likelihood or potential for strong recruitments under future climate conditions using projected scenarios around mid-century (~2050) and late-century (~2100); and (3) explore additional scenarios identified by natural resource agency advisors to make the work more management-relevant.

What does the historical evaluation objective involve?

It involves retrospective analysis linking model-based representations of lake conditions and larval foraging environments to known recruitment outcomes, with the goal of identifying combinations of climate drivers and in-lake processes that tend to precede high or low survival years.

What future time periods are specifically mentioned for climate projections?

The opportunity specifically mentions projected scenarios centered around roughly mid-century (about 2050) and late-century (about 2100).

What kinds of future changes might be considered in the analysis?

Applying the modeling framework to climate projections may involve assessing how shifts in temperature, stratification, circulation patterns, seasonal timing, or prey dynamics could change the odds that larval fish will find enough food to survive and grow.

What are the "additional scenarios" referenced in the objectives?

They are scenarios flagged by natural resource agency advisors, reflecting management-relevant conditions or assumptions that agencies consider plausible or concerning for future recruitment outcomes.

How is management relevance built into the project?

Management relevance is supported by including agency-informed scenarios in addition to historical analysis and standard future climate projections, with the intent of making results more useful for planning and decision-making.

What lake and region does the project focus on?

The project focuses on Lake Michigan and issues relevant to Great Lakes fisheries and ecosystem dynamics.

What outcomes is the solicitation trying to support?

The solicitation aims to support better anticipation of fish population responses, improve fisheries and ecosystem understanding, and provide information that can inform how managers think about sustaining economically and ecologically important Great Lakes fisheries under changing climate conditions.