Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) | G25AS00321

Opportunity Information: Apply for G25AS00321

This funding opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G25AS00321) is a discretionary cooperative agreement from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) focused on advancing restoration-relevant science for the Gulf of America. Through the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) network, USGS is seeking a qualified CESU partner to carry out state-of-the-art research that develops and refines husbandry protocols for holding and rearing mesophotic soft corals in ex situ settings. The work is directly tied to species affected by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill and is intended to strengthen the scientific and technical foundation for long-term restoration planning and implementation.

The project emphasis is practical and experimental: it aims to figure out what it takes to keep a variety of understudied soft coral species healthy in controlled conditions and to successfully support juvenile production and rearing. USGS is looking for a partner that can develop, modify, and improve husbandry techniques that increase survival, stability, and growth during coral holding and early life stages. The scientific scope goes beyond basic husbandry and includes targeted investigations into each species' trophic ecology (how they feed and acquire energy), reproductive output (how and when they reproduce, and what level of offspring production is achievable), juvenile settlement and growth rates (what conditions support successful settlement and subsequent growth), and holobiont microbial communities (the microbial partners associated with the coral and how those communities may relate to coral health and performance in captivity). Taken together, these components are meant to produce evidence-based best practices for ex situ soft coral propagation that can support restoration goals.

The work will be carried out in close coordination with USGS scientists, specifically through the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) in Gainesville, Florida, and aligned with broader Gulf restoration activities undertaken alongside NOAA and other state and federal partners. USGS frames the effort as part of its broader mission to conduct ecological studies that improve understanding of Gulf benthic communities, ongoing environmental change, and how these systems respond to restoration actions. The expectation is that the results will help guide decision-making during planning, restoration implementation, and adaptive management over the life of long-term restoration projects, meaning the outputs should be usable, transferable, and clearly linked to management needs rather than purely academic.

From a timeline standpoint, USGS anticipates approximately one year of sampling or active collection/experimental work, followed by one to two additional years focused on analysis, synthesis, and communicating results in ways that can be applied to restoration and propagation programs. Because this is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, substantial involvement by USGS is implied, typically meaning closer collaboration on project direction, methods, milestones, and deliverables than might occur under a more hands-off funding instrument.

Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners in the Gulf Coast CESU Program, consistent with the purpose of CESUs as structured partnerships that provide research, technical assistance, and education capacity to federal agencies. The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 15.808), administered by the USGS. The posted award ceiling is $202,643, and the application closing date is July 25, 2025.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (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 2025-06-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-07-25. (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 $202,643.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G25AS00321

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: