RFP for Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Bloom Project

The following is a partial Federal Register notice for grant award opportunities. Please refer the the Federal Register for complete details.

[Federal Register: April 7, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 66)]
[Notices]
[Page 16930-16937]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access wais.access.gpo.gov

[DOCID:fr07ap99-43]

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of Naval Research

[Docket No. 990203 041-9041-01; I.D. No. 020299B]

Request for Proposals for the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms Project

AGENCIES: The Coastal Ocean Program and the National Sea Grant College Program/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/ Commerce; the National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance/Environmental Protection Agency(EPA); the Directorate for Geosciences, Division of Ocean Sciences/National Science Foundation(NSF); the Office of Naval Research(ONR) /Department of Defense; and the Office of Earth Science/National Aeronautics Space Administration(NASA).

ACTION: Supplemental notification for financial assistance for project grants.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that the NOAA Coastal Ocean Program(COP), the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program, the EPA National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance, the NSF Directorate for Geosciences, Division of Ocean Sciences, the Department of Defense/Office of Naval Research, and the Office of Earth Science, National Aeronautics and Space Administration are soliciting research proposals of 1 to 5 years in duration for the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB) program. This program provides support for research on all aspects of harmful algal bloom(HAB) ecology and oceanography in U.S. coastal waters. This document details the requirements for applications for research support to address general HAB ecology and oceanography that will be considered by the Federal research partnership consisted of NOAA, NSF, EPA, ONR, and NASA.

DATES: The deadline for proposals is June 7, 1999, by 3:00 PM, EST.

ADDRESSES: Submit the original and two copies of your proposal to Coastal Ocean Program Office (ECOHAB 99), SSMC#3, 9^th Floor, Room 9752, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. NOAA Standard Form Applications with instructions are accessible on the following COP Internet Site in a read-only format. Blank Forms may be printed out, but information cannot be saved to the web site, nor transmitted electronically to NOAA. http://www.cop.noaa.gov

Technical Information: Dr. Kevin Sellner, ECOHAB Coordinator, COP Office, 301-713-3338/ext 127, Internet ksellner@cop.noaa.gov.

Business Management: Leslie McDonald, COP Grants Office, (301) 713-3338/ext 137, Internet: Leslie.McDonald@noaa.gov.

If you have Brown Tide Research Initiative (BTRI) related questions, contact Sue Banahan, COP Office, 301-713-3338/ext 115, Internet: sbanahan@cop.noaa.gov. More information on the BTRI research program is available through the World Wide Web on New York Sea Grant’s website (http://www.seagrant.sunysb.edu/pages/btri.htm), or by contacting Cornelia Schlenk of New York Sea Grant (NYSG) at 516-632- 6906, Internet: cschlenk@ccmail.sunysb.edu.

Program Description: For complete Program Description and Other Requirements criteria for the Coastal Ocean Program, see COP’s General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions initial notice in the Federal Register (63 FR 44237, August l8, 1998) and at internet site: http:// www.cop.noaa.gov.

Harmful Algal Blooms(HABs) include toxic and noxious Phytoplankton (including Pfiesteria-like organisms) and benthic algae. Evidence suggests that, over the last few decades, the frequency and duration of HABs have been increasing nationally and worldwide. Formerly, only a few regions of the U.S. were affected by HABs, but now virtually every coastal state has reported major blooms. In many cases, blooms extend over large geographic areas and are composed of more than one harmful or toxic species. Furthermore, HABs are not unique to the United States and have attracted interest from many countries that have commercial and recreational activities in the coastal ocean. Most recently, a Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission-Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research workshop (GEOHAB, Global Ecology and Oceanography of HABs) in Denmark convened to consider the establishment of an international research program on the increasing problem of HABs in our world’s coastal oceans.

In spite of a growing list of affected resources, our understanding of the biological, physical, and chemical processes that regulate HABs is limited. Toxic blooms can potentially impact virtually all compartments of the marine foodweb due to adverse effects on viability, growth, fecundity, and recruitment of marine organisms. Because toxins can move through ecosystems, the impacts can be far reaching. Likewise, dramatic shifts in structure of an ecosystem can accompany plankton blooms and macroalgal overgrowth in benthic systems. In the context of ecological effects, our present knowledge is inadequate to define the scale and complexity of many HAB phenomena.

Impacts of HABs are extensive. Periodic blooms in some coastal areas have caused collapse of ecosystems, with accompanying serious economic impacts. Economic losses in the U.S. from HABs are likely to exceed one billion dollars over several decades. The costs of HABs are included in toxin monitoring programs, closures of shellfish beds, collapse of some fisheries and shellfisheries, mortality of fish and shellfish, disruptions in tourism, threats to public and coastal resource health, publication of watershed, health and seafood advisories, and medical treatments.

HABs are not only economically costly, but they also cause severe human health effects. Human illnesses due to natural algal toxins include ciguatera fish poisoning, paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, diarrhetic shellfish poisoning, and short-term neurocognitive dysfunction from exposure to Pfiesteria piscicida. Severe cases of PSP and ASP can result in death within 24 hours of consuming the toxic shellfish from respiratory arrest and brain dysfunction. Additionally, ASP can have the devastating side effect of permanent memory loss.

The interagency ECOHAB program addresses the need for long-term, large-scale, multidisciplinary research, and is outlined in the report," ECOHAB, the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms" (Anderson, D.M. 1995. WHOI, Woods Hole, MA, 66 pp.; http:// habserv1.whoi.edu/hab/nationplan/ECOHAB/PDF/ECOHABPDF.html). The primary objective of this notice is to solicit proposals for research on the environmental processes that facilitate and regulate HABs in the coastal ocean. Developing an understanding of how physical and biological processes interact to promote bloom development, maintenance, and decline will contribute to the ultimate goal of preventing, managing, controlling, and mitigating the impacts of HABs, outlined in the nation’s comprehensive Federal approaches, "Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algae: A National Plan" (Anderson, D.M., S.B. Galloway, and J.D. Joseph. 1993. WHOI Technical Report 93-02, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 44 pp.; http:// www.redtide.whoi.edu/hab/nationplan/s-kplan/s-kcontents.html) and "Harmful Algal Blooms in Coastal Waters: Options for Prevention, Control, and Mitigation" (Boesch, D.F. et al 1997. NOAA COP Decision Analysis Series No.10, NOAA Coastal Ocean Office, Silver Spring, MD 46 pp.).

To address the increased need for research on HABs, NOAA, NSF, EPA, ONR, and NASA combine each agency’s unique interests and missions into this coordinated research program. The interests and objectives of each agency are defined in the following paragraphs:

NOAA—HABs and related biotoxin risk must be managed if we are to build viable and valuable sustainable fisheries, protect threatened and endangered species, and effectively manage coastal activities and resources. NOAA’s interest is in developing effective techniques for prevention, control, and mitigation to assist in reducing the impacts of HABs on public health, living marine resources, and coastal habitats. Developing predictive and early warning capabilities for HABs is a specific area of emphasis.

NSF—Many aspects of species-specific dynamics of plankton, macroalgal populations, and species succession that contribute to bloom formation are poorly understood. NSF’s interest is in increasing our understanding of the direct and indirect causes of HABs in our coastal regions and their ecological consequences through research on the physiological and ecological basis for bloom formation, the physical and chemical attributes of coastal oceans that facilitate them, the population attributes of bloom species, and the long-term consequences of ecosystem changes.

EPA—Research programs support an integrated approach to protect the integrity of ecosystems that are affected by blooms through the development of bioindicators for toxic forms of HABs and through the restoration of degraded ecosystems using a watershed approach. Specific areas of emphasis for ecosystem protection related to Pfiesteria and other HABs include the impact of nutrients from agricultural activities and other non-point sources of pollution with investigations conducted at the regional or watershed scale.

ONR—Plankton blooms resulting from complex coupled physical/ biological processes strongly affect the physical, optical, and acoustic properties of the coastal ocean. ONR’s interest is in characterizing and forecasting the physical, bioacoustical, and optical properties of blooms to improve the capability of the fleet to operate effectively within coastal environments worldwide.

NASA—Algal pigments affect optical properties of the water in well-characterized ways. In the open ocean, it is possible to quantify pigment concentration using remote sensing techniques because Phytoplankton are solely responsible for variation in water color. In nearshore, estuarine, and inland waters, suspended sediments and dissolved organic compounds make the optical properties much more complex. The goal of detecting algal blooms in the presence of other colored materials is the subject of ongoing research. NASA is interested in developing remote sensing techniques that could be applied to the detection or tracking of harmful algal blooms in nearshore coastal environments.

Research Goals and Topical Areas:

A. The specific goals of the research solicited by this notice are to:

(1) Understand the causes of blooms;
(2) Determine the sources, fates, and consequences of HABs in foodwebs and fisheries;
(3) Develop an enhanced predictive and early warning capability for the occurrence and impact of HABs; and
(4) Explore means for prevention, mitigation, and control of HABs. B.

To address these needs, ECOHAB will support research on general themes of:

(1) Characterization and detection of HAB cells, life stages, and toxins;
(2) Mechanisms underlying the initiation, distribution, and accumulation of individual bloom-forming species;
(3) Physiological and biochemical bases of the ecological role of toxins in bloom-forming species;
(4) Physical and biological processes that influence the transport, fate, and effects of marine biotoxins and other HAB impacts;
(5) The influence of human and natural factors on the biophysical mechanisms that facilitate and regulate HABs, including detection and tracking of conditions suspected of being conducive to bloom formation and potential methods of control;
(6) Longer term consequences of ecosystem changes brought about by the increasing frequency and persistence of planktonic blooms and community alterations that can accompany macroalgal overgrowth in benthic systems; and
(7) Development of models of the physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes that can ultimately lead to HAB prediction.

A significant challenge to the implementation of this program is that HAB phenomena are diverse with respect to the causative organisms involved, the hydrographic or environmental regimes in which they occur, the factors regulating bloom dynamics, and the nature and extent of their impacts. Whereas laboratory research helps define factors that could be significant in causing blooms, field research and model development are essential to determine and predict the conditions under which blooms form. Comprehensive multidisciplinary studies are needed to fully understand the complex mechanisms underlying the growth and accumulation of harmful species, the formation, transfer, and fate of toxins, the impacts of HABs and toxins on ecosystems, and the influence of human activities on these processes.

This announcement provides an opportunity for investigators to propose research to address the national problem of HABs. Proposals are sought for individual studies or small interdisciplinary efforts that address gaps in knowledge related to the nature of HAB phenomena. These studies should address fundamental ecological and oceanographic questions related to HABs. For example, individual studies by one or more investigators or by small teams could address such research issues as physical transport and techniques for identifying, detecting, and monitoring biotoxins and HAB species.

Studies of nutrient kinetics, physiological bases of growth and toxin production for harmful species, toxin transfer through the foodweb, and mechanisms for controlling blooms would be of interest. The purpose of the individual studies is to encourage research into key questions on the underlying mechanisms involved with HABs and their control, without necessarily being limited to particular study regions.

Proposals are sought for the following four topical areas:

(1) Ecology and oceanography of HABs, including Pfiesteria,
(2) Long Island brown tides,
(3) Prevention, control, and mitigation of HABs impacting fisheries, aquaculture, and human health, and
(4) Economic assessments of HABs.

The following describe in detail the type of proposals sought for each topical area:

(1) Proposals on the ecology and oceanography of HAB species, including Pfiesteria, are encouraged, with support provided by NOAA, NSF, and EPA. This is a broad category that encourages proposals on all aspects of HABs and Pfiesteria along U.S. coasts. Proposals addressing prevention, control, and mitigation of Pfiesteria will be considered as part of this topical area; proposals addressing mitigation, management, and control of other HAB species are to be submitted to the National Sea Grant College Program topical area three.

(2) Proposals of 1 to 3 years in duration are sought to address the gaps in knowledge of factors leading to the initiation, persistence, and subsidence of brown tide (Aureococcus anophagefferens) in New York’s embayments. The NOAA Coastal Ocean Program (COP), in cooperation with New York Sea Grant, established the Brown Tide Research Initiative (BTRI). The goal of this program is to understand and predict the onset of brown tide blooms and to advance strategies for mitigating its environmental impacts.

Proposals applying for BTRI funds should address one or more of ECOHAB goals under Section A.,(1)(3) and/or (4) and research themes under Section B., (2)(5) and/or (7) in the context of the specific scientific objectives of the BTRI. Those objectives are:

(a) Identification of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that initiate and sustain brown tide blooms. Investigations into a range of factors will be considered. Of special interest are laboratory, mesocosm, and field studies in the areas of growth physiology of Aureococcus; nutrient (and other growth factors) budgets in affected areas, including the role of groundwater and its constituents; water column conditioning; benthic-pelagic coupling; dynamics of brown tide blooms and other resident planktonic communities; and the role of allelopathy in brown tide blooms. Retrospective analysis and synthesis of existing data and information that can explain and predict brown tide events will also be considered (e.g., examinations of water quality monitoring data sets and previous studies).

(b) Techniques to isolate and maintain axenic cultures of Aureococcus.

(c) Identification of the factors leading to the cessation of brown tide blooms. This may include investigations on activities of viruses and other pathogens, autolysis, and ecology of the resident grazing community.

Research should be hypothesis-based and focused on understanding the causes of brown tide blooms, with the goal to advance information for developing approaches to avoid or minimize these blooms. Geographically, this effort is focused on New York’s affected bays (e.g., the Peconic Bays and the South Shore Estuary). It is expected that information gained in this study will provide insight useful in understanding and managing brown tide occurrences in Rhode Island and New Jersey and will shed light on other harmful algal bloom phenomena. Investigators will be expected to justify proposed research within the context of proposed or on-going work and build upon rather than repeat previous experimental efforts.

(3) NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program solicits proposals that focus on two topical areas. The first of these two are the development of mitigation, management, and potential control strategies to enhance our ability to protect commercially important fisheries, aquaculture, and human health from the impacts of HAB species other than Pfiesteria.

(4) The National Sea Grant College Program is also interested in requests specific to the assessment of the economic impacts of HABs (including Pfiesteria) in order to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of potential management actions.

 

The guidelines for proposal preparation provided here are mandatory. Proposals received after the published deadline or proposals that deviate from the prescribed format will be returned to the sender without further consideration. This announcement and additional background information will be made available on the COP home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.cop.noaa.gov.

ECOHAB will support projects ranging from laboratory studies by individual investigators or by small research teams through coordinated, well-integrated, multidisciplinary field programs. Studies will also be supported to develop predictive models and address gaps in knowledge related to mechanisms that regulate harmful algal species, including Pfiesteria and related taxa. While the agencies will maintain separate funding mechanisms, a common review process will be used to evaluate and select proposals.

Upon conclusion of external peer and panel merit review, meritorious proposals may be recommended for funding by any of the agencies. Subsequent grant administration procedures will be in accordance with the individual policies of the awarding agency. In addition to the extramural funding, NOAA and other permitted Federal partnering agencies may fund investigators from other Federal laboratories that successfully compete through the ECOHAB Program announcement. To address the increased need for research on HABs, NOAA, NSF, EPA, ONR, and NASA combine each agency’s unique interests and missions into this coordinated research program.

Letters of Intent and/or partial proposals are not requested under this notice. Applications must include the original and two unbound copies of the full proposal. Investigators are not required to submit more than three copies of the proposal; however, the normal review process requires twenty copies. Investigators are encouraged to submit sufficient proposal copies for the full review process if they wish all reviewers to receive color or otherwise unusual materials submitted as part of the proposal. Facsimile transmissions and electronic mail submission of full proposals will not be accepted.