Alligator Ecological Florida Everglades

Description

REQUEST FOR STATEMENTS OF INTEREST NUMBER W9126G-21-2-SOI-4384 Project to be ROJECT TO BE INITIATED IN 2021 Applicants must be members in one of the following Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU): Gulf Coast, Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast, or South Florida-Caribbean Project Title: Monitoring Alligator Status as a System-wide Ecological Indicator of Everglades Restoration, Florida Responses to this Request for Statement of Interest will be used to identify potential investigators for a project to be funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, which will monitor American Alligator abundance, distribution, and health in the Florida Everglades in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 2358 - Research and Development. Approximately $145,053.00 is expected to be available to support this project during the base period. Additional funding may be available for follow on work in subsequent fiscal years to the successful Recipient/Awardee. Background: The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000 authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) as a framework for modifications and operational changes to the Central and Southern Florida Project needed to restore the South Florida ecosystem. Provisions within WRDA 2000 provide for specific authorization for an adaptive assessment and monitoring program. A Monitoring and Assessment Plan (MAP) (RECOVER 2004, 2006) has been developed as the primary tool to assess the systemwide performance of the CERP by the REstoration, COordination and VERification (RECOVER) program. The MAP presents the monitoring and supporting research needed to measure responses of the South Florida ecosystem to CERP implementation. The Florida Everglades is the only place in the world where both alligators and crocodiles occur. Crocodilians (American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, and the American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus) are indicators of ecosystem health and restoration success, because at all life history stages, crocodilians integrate biological impacts of hydrologic conditions (Mazzotti and Brandt 1994, Rice et al. 2004, Mazzotti 1999, Mazzotti and Cherkiss 2003, Mazzotti et al. 2009). Research has linked three key aspects of Everglades’ ecology to crocodilians: (1) Top predators such as crocodilians are directly dependent on prey density, especially aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms, and thus they provide a surrogate for status of many other species. (2) Drier (nests) and wetter (trails and holes) conditions created by ecosystem engineers like alligators provide habitat for plants and animals that otherwise would not be able to survive. This increases diversity and productivity of Everglades marshes (Kushlan and Kushlan 1980, Palmer and Mazzotti 2004) and, therefore, alligator monitoring can indicate overall health of the marsh. (3) The distribution and abundance of crocodilians in estuaries is directly dependent on timing, amount, and location of freshwater flow (Dunson and Mazzotti 1989, Mazzotti and Dunson 1989); crocodiles and alligators exhibit an immediate response to changes in freshwater inputs into the estuaries. Regionally, lack of fresh water due to saltwater intrusion has been correlated with lower growth and survival of crocodiles (Moler 1992, Mazzotti and Cherkiss 2003, Mazzotti et al. 2007). The short-term objective of the MAP is to obtain baseline documentation and understanding of alligator estimated abundance and body condition for long-term assessment by sampling new and historic sites. Long-term objectives include quantifying changes in alligator estimated abundance and body condition in relation to changes in water delivery and prey abundance; assessing long-term patterns of alligator nesting and relationship to hydrologic conditions; and linking trends in alligator estimated abundance, body condition, and nesting. This project will monitor and assess ecological response of alligators to changing hydrology within Water Conservation Area 3 (WCA3). This project will provide resource managers with results that are directly applicable and necessary to effectively evaluate CERP project objectives, as well as assess effects of hydrology on alligator estimated abundance and body condition in WCA3. Type of Award: Authority to enter into a Cooperative Agreement: 10 U.S.C. § 2358 - Research and Development for Monitoring Alligator Status as a System-wide Ecological Indicator of Everglades Restoration. In accordance with section 6305 – Using cooperative agreements of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreements Act of 1977 (31 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq.), all CESU projects must carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation, instead of acquiring goods or services for the exclusive direct benefit of the United States Government. In accordance with section 6305 – Using cooperative agreements of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreements Act of 1977 (31 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq.), substantial involvement is expected between the federal partner and the nonfederal partner when carrying out the activities specified in the project agreement. The exact nature of the government’s involvement will be defined in the statement of objectives, issued with a request for full proposal. As a result, it is anticipated that a cooperative agreement through the CESU program will be awarded. Such awards may be administered through a CESU only upon mutual agreement and official authorization by both parties of the acceptance of the application of the CESU Network IDC rate (17.5%). Note: Must be a non-federal partner in the South Florida-Caribbean, Piedmont – South Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast CESU Unit Region. Brief Description of Anticipated Work: The purpose of this project is to fulfill monitoring objectives in the MAP (RECOVER 2004 and 2006): I- Determine the status and trends of the alligator populations over short (body condition), medium (distribution and relative density) and Long-term (demography) temporal scales. II- Detect unexpected responses of the ecosystem (alligator ecosystem attribute) to changes in stressors resulting from CERP activities III- Support scientific investigations designed to increase ecosystem understanding, cause and effect, and interpret unanticipated results in alligator performance Project Tasks: (1) Kick-off Meeting The Principal Investigator (PI) shall conduct a Kick-off Meeting with the USACE within ten (10) business days of contract execution. This meeting shall be an informal discussion between the PI and USACE. At this meeting the PI will introduce the project team and define the project chain of command. The USACE will communicate to the PI any methodological requirements to be used when sampling and reporting tasks as outlined. The MAP Assessment Strategy (RECOVER 2006) provides guidance in assessment methodologies. The Kick-off Meeting shall provide the opportunity for the PI and USACE to coordinate the project’s tasks that outlined below. Within ten (10) days following the Kick-off Meeting, the PI shall submit an electronic summary (Draft Work Plan) of the meeting. The Project Manager (PM) will respond with comments to the PI within ten (10) business days after the receipt by the USACE of the Draft Work Plan. The PI shall address comments and submit a Final Work Plan, which will be submitted to the USACE ten (10) days of its receipt by the PI. Upon its approval in writing by the USACE’s PM, the Final Work Plan shall become the working document for this work order. The PI shall proceed with the performance of the work order in accordance with the approved Final Work Plan and the requirements of this CA. In the event of any conflict between this CA and the Final Work Plan, the Final Work Plan shall take precedence. The Final Work Plan will be updated as necessary at the beginning of each new Option Year. The PI shall also begin preparations to execute field sampling within ten (10) days of work order execution. This includes acquiring and assembling any specialty equipment needed and working with USACE staff to become familiar with sampling protocols and equipment provided to the PI by the USACE. (2) Alligator Surveys The PI will survey four (4) routes (WCA3A-N41, WCA3A-Tower, WCA3A-Holiday, WCA3B; see Figure 1) for alligators as established in Mazzotti et al. 2010 and updated in Hart et al., 2012. Surveys along these routes will be performed by airboat. Alligator locations will be recorded using GPS equipment. Surveys will be conducted in marshes, in the dry (spring) and wet season (fall). Spotlight surveys for relative density in each area will be conducted twice each season at least 14 days apart to achieve independent counts (Woodward and Moore 1990, Mazzotti et al. 2010). Capture surveys will be conducted in the same general locations. Relative condition of alligators will be determined by conducting a condition factor analysis (Zweig 2003, Mazzotti et al. 2009). (3) Data Analyses The PI will summarize, analyze, and report trends in both relative density and body condition of alligators on an annual basis for inclusion in USACE reporting including, but not limited to, CERP System Status Reports (SSR). Any additional survey data generated during the base year or subsequent option years must be summarized, analyzed, and reported in Annual and Final Reports. (4) Participation in RECOVER Regional Team Support The PI shall be required to work with the Greater Everglades Regional Team and the Regional Coordinator(s) to assist in the development of upcoming SSRs. The PI will also provide a presentation to the Regional Team or other science meetings as directed by the USACE PM during the course of the contract. This presentation shall include an MS PowerPoint presentation that summarizes all work that has been done including data analysis and interpretations that highlight all spatial and statistical relationships found. Finally, the PI shall list re

Eligibility

Grants.gov lists this opportunity under eligibility category code 99. These codes correspond to applicant types (state/local government, tribal organization, nonprofit, educational institution, individual, small business, etc.) defined in Grants.gov's own eligibility reference. See the current Grants.gov eligibility categories or check the official listing below for this opportunity's exact eligibility statement.

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