Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (Cesu) (South Caribbean Cesu)

The summary for the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (Cesu) (South Caribbean Cesu) grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Geological Survey, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (Cesu) (South Caribbean Cesu): The Office of the Eastern Regional Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in support of the USGS Terrestrial, Freshwater, and Marine Ecosystems Program is offering a Cooperative Agreement to one or more member universities of the Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU) Program. The project is titled "Gulf of Mexico Lower Continental Slope Chemosynthetic and Hard Substrate Habitats: Project Coordination, Trophodynamics and Crustacean Ecology." This USGS-funded project will coordinate closely with a project sponsored by the U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) titled "Deepwater Program: Investigations of Chemosynthetic Communities on the Lower Continental Slope of the Gulf of Mexico" ("Chemo III" study) (http://www.mms.gov/envmonitoring/GOM/DeepwaterChemosyntheticCommunities.htm) . The USGS effort is comprised of five interrelated study components, three of which (Project coordination, trophodynamics, crustacean ecology) are included in this announcement. Chemosynthetic and hardbottom ecosystems deeper than 1000 m in the Gulf of Mexico are poorly known, and research directed toward them is of increasing importance as energy exploration/production and fisheries move rapidly to deeper waters. The planned research in > 1000 m depths will expand and supplement prior projects that focused on Lophelia pertusa communities (350-900 m) and provide comparisons with data sets from different areas/ecosystems. The overall goal is to develop and synthesize information on Lophelia, other deep corals (and hardgrounds), chemosynthetic communities, and compare community composition, fauna/habitat linkages, genetic structures and energetics across latitudes, habitat types, depth zones, and regions. Important objectives of the USGS effort are to promote good communication, leverage resources, and encourage data sharing among all participants which will encourage synergies among PIs and benefit MMS with more comprehensive study approaches and information products. This new study is tightly linked to the MMS-sponsored "Chemo III" project (FY 2005-2009). The "Chemo III" project, contracted to TDI Brooks by MMS, started field work (two cruises) in 2006 and will continue field work in 2007. The complementary efforts includes coordination in scheduling of ship time and associated travel, scheduling meetings within USGS study teams and with outside groups, arranging major field gear purchases or loans, data management, and tracking overall project reporting requirements. The USGS will be a full participant with the CESU partner. Participants will work closely together in planning, design, and in execution of the fieldwork and lab analyses. Compatible methods and designs will be used to collect trophic and baseline data on midwater and crustacean communities at and over locations identified by the "Chemo III" project. The CESU component of the will map the food-web structure of parts of the deep water system not explored by the "Chemo III" project so that between the two projects there will be more complete coverage of appropriate communities and a better understanding of the primary sources and pathways of energy flow in the system. The CESU study component will supplement and add perspective to the USGS genetic and microbial components which are examining population structures and relationships in different ways Objectives of the Trophic and Fish study components are to: 1) characterize energy flow through the water column above and around seep areas, 2) describe communities and key species involved in water column dynamics, 3) supplement benthic sampling related to seep communities as needed, 4) provide ichthyological assistance to Chemo III as needed. Methods to accomplish these objectives revolve around two multi-objective, multi-PI cruises at the Gulf of Mexico Chemo III study areas. These will coordinate with other Chemo III cruises. Methods for the trophic component involve discrete depth sampling over the whole water column, including the benthic area as needed. Standardized sampling with several types of gear should be used to include all faunal components. All collections will be identified for species, individuals counted and measured, and sub-samples will be analyzed for diet (traditional stomach analyses) and stable isotopes (13C, 15N, 14S). Stable isotope signatures will be determined for primary productivity sources. The main objectives for the Crustacean Studies section of the work are the following: 1) provide taxonomic identifications of the galatheoid fauna observed on and around targeted study sites, 2) assess levels of endemism at chemosynthetic habitats, 3) examine patterns of species diversity and geographic distribution of the galatheoid fauna between sites and make comparisons with similar habitats in other locations, and 4) provide data towards assessment of community structure, basic ecology and population dynamics of the galatheoid fauna. Samples will be collected via submersible or ROV during scheduled "Chemo III" expeditions, photographed on deck soon after collection, and preserved in 70% ethanol. Crustaceans will be identified, measured, counted, and deposited in a major museum (e.g., National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution). Tissue samples will be taken for genetics and trophics studies. Identifications will be made by examining diagnostic morphological characters, comparing specimens to intra- and inter-specific material in museum collections, and evaluating historical literature.