[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11839-11846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5956]
[[Page 11839]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Science Foundation
[Docket No. 981211301-8301-01; I.D. No. 122398A]
RIN 0648-ZA53
Request for Proposals for the Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics
Project
AGENCIES: Coastal Ocean Program, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, Commerce and the National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Supplemental Notification for financial assistance for project
grants.
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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to advise the public that the
NOAA Coastal Ocean Program (COP) and the National Science Foundation
(NSF) are soliciting 5-year proposals for the Global Ocean Ecosystems
Dynamics (GLOBEC) Project. This program is a federal research
partnership with NSF - Directorate for Geosciences, Division of Ocean
Sciences.
DATES: The deadline for proposals is April 15, 1999 by 3:00 pm, local
time.
ADDRESSES: Submit the original and two copies of your proposal to
Coastal Ocean Program Office (GLOBEC 99), SSMC#3, 9th Floor, Station
9700, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. NOAA Standard
Form Applications with instructions are accessible on the following COP
Internet Site: http://www.cop.noaa.gov/cop-home.html.
Specific information about the NEP Study, including descriptions
and points of contact of presently funded GLOBEC NEP projects, can be
obtained from the following address or homepage: U.S. GLOBEC Northeast
Pacific Coordinating Office, Department of Integrative Biology,
University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140; Phone: 510- 642-
7452; Fax: 510-643-1142; Internet: [email protected] or
http://www.usglobec.berkeley.edu/nep/index.html
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical Information:
Dr. Elizabeth Turner, GLOBEC Program Manager, COP Office, 301-713-
3338/ext 135, Internet: Elizabeth.T[email protected]; or Dr. Phillip
Taylor, NSF Division of Ocean Sciences, 703-306-1584, Internet:
[email protected].
Business Management Information: contact Leslie McDonald, COP
Grants Office, (301) 713-3338/ext 137, Internet:
Leslie.McD[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Research activities in the coastal Northeast Pacific (NEP) Ocean
are supported by a number of organizations including the Division of
Ocean Sciences (OCE), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Ocean Program (COP). NSF/OCE generally
supports research projects focused on basic oceanographic and
ecological processes and the study of natural systems. A component of
NOAA's COP focus is directed toward developing tools and capabilities
to improve ecosystem management. Environmental and resource management
decisions are most appropriately based on knowledge gained from both
basic and applied research.
Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (U.S. GLOBEC) is a component of
the U.S. Global Change Research Program, with the goals of
understanding and ultimately predicting how populations of marine
animal species (holozooplankton, fish and benthic invertebrates)
respond to natural and anthropogenic changes in global climate. U.S.
GLOBEC is also the U.S. component of the GLOBEC International program,
a core project of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program with
co-sponsorship from the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research and
the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
This notice is under the auspices of the U.S. GLOBEC program within
NSF/OCE and the regional ecosystem studies and U.S. GLOBEC initiatives
of NOAA's COP. U.S. GLOBEC has identified ecosystem studies in the
California Current System (CCS) and Coastal Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) as
priorities for the next decade.
For complete Program Description and Other Requirements criteria,
see COP's General Grant Administration Terms and Conditions initial
notice in the Federal Register--63 FR 44237, August l8, 1998, and also
at http://www.cop.noaa.gov/cop-home.html.
This notice requests proposals for:
(1) process-oriented field studies in the CCS;
(2) mesoscale surveys in the CCS;
(3) long-term observation projects in the CCS;
(4) modeling studies in the CCS and the CGOA; and
(5) retrospective studies in the CCS and the CGOA.
It is anticipated that a similar announcement will be issued
approximately 1 year from now requesting research proposals for NEP
studies in the CGOA, with field years in 2001 and 2003. In the event of
a delay in the CCS program, the CGOA activities would be similarly
delayed. Research Proposals For Field Work (Long-Term Observations,
Mesoscale Surveys, Process-Studies) solely in the CGOA should not
respond to this present notice.
To provide for long-term coordinated strategic planning of the NEP
program in the CCS, proposals are being solicited now for all future
U.S. GLOBEC research activities in the CCS. This includes process-study
research in the two field phases of the CCS program. At this time, the
major field process years are anticipated to occur in 2000 and 2002,
contingent on the availability of funding. In the event that funding is
insufficient to support a full field program in 2000, the field years
will be delayed a year, occurring in 2001 and 2003, respectively.
In addition to soliciting research proposals for field work the
U.S. GLOBEC CCS program in the NEP, this Notice is requesting proposals
for modeling and retrospective analysis that augments or complements
existing U.S. GLOBEC NEP efforts in these components. Modeling and
retrospective proposals submitted in response to this Notice need not
be CCS-specific, but those that are peripheral to the core activities
in the CCS will have lower priority than those focusing on the CCS.
U.S. GLOBEC emphasizes studies on the biology/ecology of juvenile
salmon, the euphausiids Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera,
several large copepoda, and forage fishes (salmon prey) in coastal
regions of the North Pacific and how these populations are controlled
by climatically variable physical forcing, especially at large to meso-
scales. Several other national and international programs will examine
similar ecosystems and processes, and proposers should be aware of
these ongoing and planned efforts.
The Pacific component of Canada GLOBEC is conducting similar
ecosystem studies on La Perouse Bank off the western coast of Vancouver
Island; the NOAA-sponsored Pacific Northwest Coastal Ecosystems
Regional Study program is carrying out studies on near shore and
estuarine processes related to the estuarine phase of salmon life
history in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (1998-2001); the California
Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) Program is in
its fifth decade of study on fish and zooplankton populations off the
coast of southern California. The North Pacific Marine Science
Organization Climate Change
[[Page 11840]]
and Carrying Capacity (CCCC) Program emphasizes comparative studies of
ecosystems along the continental margins of the north Pacific,
examining all trophic levels, but with special emphasis on salmon. U.S.
GLOBEC's studies in the Northeast Pacific region are an integral part
of the pan-North Pacific CCCC effort.
In addition to these ongoing studies, the Coastal Ocean Processes
(CoOP) program plans studies for 2000 and 2001 in a strongly, wind-
driven region of the CCS, at a specific site still to be determined.
These national and international investigations and others (such as the
recently begun, salmon- sampling program in the Columbia River plume
and adjacent waters, funded by the Bonneville Power Authority [BPA])
complement the studies being done and the research planned by U.S.
GLOBEC in the NEP. They provide a unique opportunity for both regional
and inter-regional comparisons and the evaluation of large-scale
climatic influences (e.g., the El Nino and Southern Oscillation) on
several pan-North Pacific species (e.g., salmon and Euphausia
pacifica).
The U.S. GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Implementation Plan (U.S. GLOBEC,
Report No. 17) was developed following several community-wide meetings
at which U.S. scientists from the oceanographic and fisheries
communities identified key scientific issues and research prospectuses
for the NEP. The overall objectives of the U.S. GLOBEC program are
described in the U.S. GLOBEC Initial Science Plan (Report No. 1).
Background information pertinent to the Northeast Pacific is found in
U.S. GLOBEC, Report Nos. 7, 11, 15 and 16. This GLOBEC report provides
the most up-to-date guidance about the NEP program and supplements and,
to a limited extent, supplants all earlier documents.
Investigators who plan to submit proposals in response to this
announcement should refer first to this GLOBEC notice, and secondarily
to the Northeast Pacific Implementation Plan (U.S. GLOBEC, Report No.
17). Copies of these documents are available from the following address
or homepage:
U.S. GLOBEC Coordinating Office, Center for Environmental and
Estuarine Studies, the University of Maryland System, Chesapeake
Biological Laboratory, P.O. BOX 38, Solomons, MD 20688; Phone: 410-326-
7289; Fax: 410-326-7318; Internet: [email protected], or http://
cbl.umces.edu/fogarty/usglobec/
The recommendations contained in the U.S. GLOBEC, Report No. 17
present the rationale for a coordinated study in the Northeast Pacific
in two regions: the CGOA and the CCS, ranging from Washington to
Central California. Critical to that rationale is the observation that
the salmon production domains, both in the CGOA and CCS co-vary, but
are out of phase. Field programs will alternate between the CCS and
CGOA in successive years.
U.S. GLOBEC proposes to investigate this coupling and the
biophysical mechanisms through which zooplankton and salmon populations
respond to physical forcing and biological interactions in the coastal
regions of the two gyres. This will be accomplished through a
combination of modeling, retrospective data analysis, long-term
observations (LTOP), mesoscale surveys, and focused field programs.
This document solicits proposals for all components of the NEP program,
with the exception of LTOP's, mesoscale surveys and process oriented
field studies focused exclusively on CGOA. A future notice will request
applications to support research on the CGOA activities outlined in
previous paragraphs.
Proposals are currently requested for mesoscale surveys and process
oriented field studies, and
(1) to execute CCS field programs, including LTOPs, and
(2) for retrospective data analysis and modeling in the NEP (both
CCS and CGOA). Contingent on the availability of funds, mesoscale
surveys and process oriented field studies will occur in the CCS in
2000 and in 2002.
Process oriented field studies in 2000 will focus on the effects of
upwelling and cross-shelf exchange on the population dynamics of the
target organisms north and south of Cape Blanco, OR. When feasible
(when timing and geography overlap), parts of the field program may be
carried out in close coordination with nearshore interdisciplinary
studies of the effects of wind-driven transport conducted by the NSF-
funded CoOP program slated to take place in 2000 and 2001.
Process-oriented studies in 2002 will focus on the effects of
upwelling and three-dimensional mesoscale circulation on the population
dynamics of the target species north and south of Cape Blanco. Biotic
processes and interactions, including factors affecting primary
production and predation processes, will be studied in both 2000 and
2002.
In the event that funding levels cannot support simultaneous
studies north and south of Cape Blanco, it may be necessary to conduct
studies north of the cape in 2000 and south of the cape in 2002.
Proposals should consider contingency plans to accommodate such
changes.
The NEP CCS study is not restricted to the continental margin and
shelf, but encompasses also the processes and phenomena of the larger
oceanic boundary region that affect the CCS. U.S. GLOBEC began funding
activities in the NEP in 1997. The initial phases of this inter-agency
research program have supported integrated, multi-investigator, inter-
disciplinary programs of modeling, retrospective analysis, and pilot-
scale monitoring (henceforth referred to as LTOP. Proposers are advised
to refer to the preliminary results from these programs (see http://
www.usglobec.berkeley.edu/nep/index.html) prior to preparation of new
proposals.
Ultimately, the U.S. GLOBEC effort in the NEP has an overall goal
of improving predictability and management of living marine resources
of the region through improved understanding of ecosystem interactions
and the coupling between the physical environment and the living
resources.
Program Goals
The overall goals of the GLOBEC Northeast Pacific program are: (1)
To determine how biological processes and characteristics of
zooplanktonic populations are affected by mesoscale features and
dynamics in the Northeast Pacific; and
(2) To quantify the biological and physical processes that
determine growth and survival of juvenile salmon in the coastal zone.
Within these overall goals, the NEP/CCS process-oriented field
program has four general goals:
(l) To determine how changing climate, especially its impacts on
local wind forcing and basin-scale currents, affect
spatial and temporal variability in mesoscale circulation and
vertical stratification.
(2) To quantify how physical features in the CCS impact zooplankton
biomass, production, distribution, and the retention and loss of
zooplankton from coastal regions, with particular emphasis on the
euphausiids Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera and calanoid
copepods, and how these, in turn, influence the distributions of higher
trophic levels.
(3) To quantify the impacts of, first, primary and secondary
production, second, intensity and effectiveness of upwelling, third,
cross-shelf transport associated with wind-driven upwelling, and
fourth, variability in the timing of the spring transition, on
controlling
[[Page 11841]]
juvenile salmon growth and survival in the coastal zone of the CCS.
(4) To determine the extent to which high and variable predation
mortality on juvenile coho and chinook salmon in the coastal region of
the California Current is responsible for large interannual variation
in adult salmon populations, and the factors responsible for the
variable predation intensity.
Toward these ends, the Northeast Pacific field program has been
structured to 2 years of intensive study (2000 and 2002) in the CCS.
The geographic domain of the study extends from approximately Newport,
OR, to approximately Eureka, CA, and encompasses two different
physically forced regimes as described in previous U.S. GLOBEC reports
(Report Nos. 11 and 17).
Three dimensional mesoscale surveys (through ship, drifter, mooring
and satellite observations) and process oriented field studies will be
conducted over a 7-month period (around March through September) in
each of the two intensive, process-study years. LTOP observations will
continue during the ``off'' years 1999, 2001, and 2003.
During field years, the LTOP program will include mesoscale surveys
of physical conditions and biological distributions in spring and fall.
The surveys will provide the short-term spatial context for the process
oriented field studies and will provide three- dimensional data to
supplement the predominantly two-dimensional LTOP data.
U.S. GLOBEC process-oriented field research will focus on target
species chosen to represent key elements of the marine ecosystem in the
northern part of the CCS. These are the euphausiids Euphausia pacifica
and Thysanoessa spinifera, calanoid copepods, and juvenile coho and
chinook salmon. A broader suite of species may be the focus of modeling
and retrospective studies as described in Table 4 of the U.S. GLOBEC,
Report No.. 17, page 26.
The primary focus of process oriented field studies will be on:
(1) Physical (e.g., stratification intensity; timing of the spring
transition; intensity of upwelling) and biological (e.g., prey and
predator abundance and distributions) factors influencing the
population dynamics and vital rates of juvenile salmon and other target
taxa (euphausiids, copepods) in the coastal region;
(2) Retention and loss of populations of target species, as
impacted by mesoscale circulation and cross-shelf transport into
the coastal jet off Oregon/No. Calif. (loss) or maintenance in the
coastal upwelling zone (retention); and
(3) Comparison of these processes (1,2) north and south of Cape
Blanco, Oregon.
Structure of the CCS Research Program
The NEP Study will comprise of five major components:
(1) Long-term observation programs (LTOP),
(2) Mesoscale surveys,
(3) Process-oriented field studies,
(4) Modeling investigations, and
(5) Retrospective/comparative analysis.
The large range of spatial and temporal scales of important forcing
processes and responses in the NEP requires a nested sampling approach
(and some associated tradeoffs), which is reflected in the descriptions
of the long-term observation programs, mesoscale surveys, and process-
studies listed here.
Long-Term Observation Programs
LTOP have already been established by U.S. GLOBEC at two NEP sites:
the first along the Gulf of Alaska (GAK) transect extending offshore
from Seward, AK, and, the second, along several offshore extending
transects off Newport and Coos Bay, OR. In both regions, the programs
are sampling ocean physics, nutrients, and biology at approximately
bimonthly intervals (both projects are described on the NEP web site).
GLOBEC is an ecosystem program that focuses on zooplankton and
juvenile salmon in the NEP, but we encourage sampling of phytoplankton
and nutrients as well. The LTOPs provide the fundamental seasonal
description of the physical, chemical and biological environment that
is required to complement the mesoscale surveys and process oriented
field studies.
Moreover, U.S. GLOBEC LTOPs, in conjunction with observations at
other sites by other programs (Canada GLOBEC, CalCOFI, Ocean Carrying
Capacity) will document the low-frequency, large amplitude signals
(e.g., regime shifts, El Ninos) that occur at the largest spatial
scales in the Pacific. LTOPs are primarily two-dimensional (2-D) cross-
shelf descriptions, which may miss important spatial features and
processes of the marine ecosystem.
Mesoscale surveys (described here) conducted twice (spring and
fall) during process-study years will provide the spatially resolved
three-dimensional data required to evaluate how well local LTOP data
generalize to a broader region. Data from the mesoscale surveys will be
used to bridge the gap between the low spatial, but annual and long-
term coverage of the LTOPs, and the intensive, but spatially limited
process studies.
LTOP projects may make use of multi-disciplinary moorings, long-
term drifter deployments, and analysis of satellite data, in addition
to seasonal ship observations. There is a continuing need for long-term
mooring-based and drifter-based observations and interpretation of
regional satellite data, that provide the broadest temporal (moorings,
drifters) and spatial (satellites) resolution and coverage. This notice
solicits proposals to conduct core LTOP observations in regions both
north and south of Cape Blanco. Projects proposing to conduct LTOP
observations north of Cape Blanco should consider existing LTOP
programs in place.
There is presently no LTOP program for the region between Cape
Blanco and Eureka, CA. We seek proposals to undertake core LTOP studies
at two or more transects between Cape Blanco and Eureka, CA.
Present and prospective U.S. GLOBEC LTOP programs should consider
(1) how they meet future U.S. GLOBEC needs, particularly for process
oriented field studies, and (2) how they mesh into the larger framework
of a coastwide network of programs undertaking repeated observations of
ocean physics and biology at all trophic levels.
Moreover, potential LTOP projects should contact the principals of
existing LTOP projects to ensure that methodologies are comparable (see
the NEP web site) among all of the LTOP sites.
Three-Dimensional Mesoscale Surveys
Ship surveys are needed to determine the distribution and abundance
of the target species in relation to their physical environment during
the period of euphausiid recruitment and juvenile salmon entry into the
ocean (March to September). This period encompasses the spring-
transition in the CCS, the initiation of upwelling and its
ramifications for production, and the period of ocean entry by juvenile
salmon and their first summer of growth.
Spatially, the ship-based mesoscale sampling should encompass both
the nearshore upwelling region and the coastal jet that ultimately
carries a large portion of the flow of the CCS. High priority will be
given to proposals that would survey a region extending from
approximately Newport, OR, to Eureka, CA, i.e., about 500 km along
shore, and extending from nearshore to 100 km (perhaps more south of
Cape Blanco,
[[Page 11842]]
where the jet meanders further from shore).
The fundamental objective of the mesoscale studies is to provide
the basis for comparisons of population processes and their coupling to
the physical structure and variability of the environment and to
examine these processes in the two regimes separated by Cape Blanco,
OR. The mesoscale studies will provide a regional context for the in
situ, process oriented field studies (described here) and provide
further data to evaluate the environment for juvenile salmon. Mesoscale
studies will complement and be complemented by LTOP characterizations
and descriptions of the physical and biological conditions of the
nearshore and offshore ocean environment. Surveys will provide data
required to evaluate coupled circulation-ecosystem models being
developed for the NEP study sites and for assimilation of data into
these models.
Presently, the Oregon LTOP effort samples Coos Bay and Newport
lines 5 times per year. It is anticipated that the mesoscale surveys
will be conducted at a given site only in years of process-studies and
that only two mesoscale surveys per year focused on critical periods in
the life history of the target species (spring and fall) will be done.
Mesoscale surveys in spring and fall will augment, and must coordinate
with, spring and fall LTOP observations.
Salmon Sampling
Sampling of juvenile salmon (trawling) in the region extending from
Newport, OR, to Eureka, CA, is a critical addition to the CCS component
of the NEP program since salmon are a target species of the program.
Salmon sampling in this region will complement existing efforts to
describe salmon abundance, distribution, and condition in the vicinity
of the Columbia River plume by the Bonneville Power Authority (BPA), in
British Columbia (Canadian GLOBEC) and by NMFS programs further south
(Gulf of Farallones) and north (SE Alaska, Auke Bay, and off Prince
William Sound).
Proposals are requested that will provide spatial descriptions of
juvenile coho and chinook salmon and their forage prey in this region
at the time of ocean entry (approximately April through May) and at the
end of the first summer in the ocean (approx. September).
These collections would also be useful for examining:
(1) Trophic relationships in the nearshore ecosystem, and (2)
Genetic structure/stock identity of the salmonids. Highest priority
will be given to salmon sampling in the field during process-study
years, but, contingent on the availability of funding and perceived
program needs, salmon sampling in ``off'' years might be supported as
well. Investigators proposing to sample juvenile salmon in Oregon and
Northern California should coordinate sampling plans/gear with both the
CGOA salmon sampling effort and other juvenile salmon trawling efforts
on the west coast (e.g., NMFS research).
Process oriented field studies
Earlier U.S. GLOBEC reports (Reports Nos. 7, 11) provide the
rationale for conducting ecosystem studies in coastal regions both
north and south of Cape Blanco--primarily because of regional
differences in seasonality and intensity of the physical forcing. For
example, mesoscale activity is much more pronounced south of Cape
Blanco than further north. Mesoscale features are important to
biological processes in many regions (e.g., Arabian Sea from recent
Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) results and are likely to be very
important in the CCS. Detailed investigations of mechanisms linking
biological response to physical forcing at the mesoscale and other
scales will be accomplished in process-study cruises.
Specifically, the physical and biological processes that control
the population dynamics of the target species will be examined in
process oriented field studies. The northern CCS region has, as its
main features, a nearshore zone of moderate coastal upwelling, which is
strongest in spring and summer, and offshore, a relatively narrow jet
that, south of Cape Blanco, represents a substantial proportion of the
southward transport of the CCS. Biological populations entrained in
this highly advective jet, with surface velocities exceeding 40 cm/sec,
are transported rapidly southward. As wind-driven upwelling intensifies
early in the year, the upwelling region expands and the jet tends to
move further offshore.
The three-dimensional, time-dependent circulation is understood
conceptually but not in detail. The exchange of physical and biological
properties across the frontal zones associated with both the nearshore
upwelling and offshore jet regions can influence the supply of
nutrients for primary production, the retention (loss) of the target
species and their prey in (from) the coastal zone, and interactions
between the target species, their prey, and their predators.
Cross-frontal exchange is influenced by physical processes that
determine the location, deformation, and movement of the front,
including tides, winds, seasonal heating/cooling, and offshore forcing,
and by biological characteristics and behavior that may enhance or
minimize exchange. Fronts often are regions of aggregation for marine
plankton, both because of such physical processes as divergence or
convergence and of such biological responses as enhanced production or
behavior (i.e., depth-keeping swimming).
Such aggregations of plankton may provide an enhanced food source
for predators, including juvenile salmon. Fine-scale description of the
physical and biological fields comprising fronts may reveal
aggregations of phytoplankton and zooplankton associated with specific
physical (e.g., density, temperature) structures. Determination of the
population structure of target organisms within the study area is
further identified as an area of critical research.
It is recognized that, because of the movement and migratory
patterns of juvenile salmon and consideration of their current low
abundance, process oriented field studies of chinook and coho salmon
may require work outside the region from Newport, OR, to Eureka, CA, to
ensure success. Proposals that focus in geographical locations outside
the principal study area should closely consider the availability of
complementary sampling programs (e.g. BPA funded monitoring in the
Columbia River plume) to provide a broader geographical context for
their studies. Proposers seeking additional contact information
concerning related NEP programs should contact the U.S. GLOBEC
Northeast Pacific Coordinating Office at the address earlier in this
document.
Questions to be addressed by process oriented field studies in the
CCS include:
(1) What is the time-dependent three-dimensional circulation
associated with the nearshore upwelling zone, the offshore jet, and the
fronts associated with these features in the CCS?
(2) How do mesoscale transport processes affect the recruitment,
vital rates, and other measures of population dynamics of the target
species?
(3) What are the exchange rates, due to frontal processes, of water
properties and the target species between the upwelling zone and the
offshore jet? What are the consequences for individual and population
growth rates of these exchanges?
[[Page 11843]]
(4) How do biological and physical processes interact to control
cross-shelf exchange of target organisms?
(5) Does frontal movement (e.g., seasonal expansion of the
nearshore upwelling region) influence the exchange of water and
organisms across fronts?
(6) How does distribution, growth and survival of juvenile coho and
chinook salmon depend on the timing and intensity of coastal upwelling,
availability and distribution of their prey, and alternative prey for
juvenile salmon predators?
(7) How are salmon distributed in relation to mesoscale physical
features, and what are the mechanisms responsible for the observed
patterns?
(8) What are the dominant predators, and what are their feeding
rates and impacts on juvenile salmon during the period they sit the
coastal zone of the CCS?
Modeling
The research conducted during the CCS study will result in a
significant archive of data concerning abundance and distribution of
the target species, source regions, vital rates, and trophic
interrelationships. Also expected are specific estimates of population
dynamics parameters arrived at by inverse modeling. These archives and
tools will provide significant opportunities for hypothesis testing
concerning biophysical processes.
The program is expected to progress toward a data-assimilative
capability, wherein LTOP and mesoscale survey data are incorporated
into coupled biophysical models. In addition, process-oriented model
studies are encouraged.
Finally, the forthcoming U.S. GLOBEC studies of euphausiids,
copepods, and salmon in the CGOA, provide an opportunity for larger
(basin) scale modeling of coupled biological/physical dynamics. Studies
of Calanus across the North Atlantic and of Euphausia superba in the
Southern Ocean provide opportunities for broader, global-scale
comparisons of biophysical/population dynamics among congeners.
This document solicits additional modeling proposals that
complement existing projects (described on the GLOBEC NEP web site),
that provide additional breadth to the program by examining responses
at additional trophic levels, and that explore processes in other
targeted regions of the northeast Pacific.
Proposals responding to this request for additional modeling
activities in the NEP may deal with the CGOA, the CCS, or both.
Priority will be given to projects that complement or significantly
augment ongoing modeling efforts--for example, evaluating the impact of
other prey (e.g., forage fish) on salmon survival and distribution.
Retrospective/Comparative Analysis
The first notification for NEP studies in the U.S. GLOBEC program
resulted in the funding of eight retrospective projects. Abstracts of
these projects are available in U.S. GLOBEC News, No. 12 and on the NEP
web site. Projects proposing retrospective analysis should document or
address population variability of key species (see U.S. GLOBEC, Report
No. 17) in NEP ecosystems on several different time and space scales.
These studies should also examine linkages between physical and
biological processes on these different scales. Previous U.S. GLOBEC
reports (see especially U.S. GLOBEC Report, Nos. 11 and 15) review some
of the kinds of data sets and research approaches suitable for
examining links between climate variability, ocean physics and marine
animal populations in the NEP.
Retrospective analysis may include:
(1) Examination of historical records (e.g., fish scales or other
hard parts in marine sediments) of population abundances of fishes and
other species to document effects of oceanic variability on population
abundance,
(2) Documentation of decadal, interannual and perhaps geographical
variability in individual growth of juvenile salmon and prey species as
recorded in fish scale circuli and otoliths, and
(3) Molecular analysis of archival collections of key species to
estimate historical patterns of spatial and temporal genetic
variability.
NEP retrospective analysis should attempt to test the core GLOBEC
NEP hypotheses relating to the linkage between climate and ocean
variability and population variability. Other research approaches and
examinations of other existing data sets may be appropriate for
retrospective examination provided that they address the critical NEP
GLOBEC mandates emphasized in this document.
U.S. GLOBEC's phase III research in the Northwest Atlantic (1999
process studies) also focuses on cross-frontal exchange and provides
opportunities for comparative investigations of cross-frontal exchange
between the two systems (CCS and Georges Bank). Moreover, the CCS
ecosystem is one of many eastern boundary current ecosystems (Benguela,
North Africa, Humboldt) with which comparisons could be made.
Similarly, the predominantly downwelling, buoyancy-driven coastal
ecosystem of the CGOA could be compared with similar ecosystems across
the globe.
Part I: Schedule and Proposal Submission
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/cop-home.html.
This opportunity is open to all interested, qualified, non-federal,
and Federal researchers. Non-NOAA federal applicants will be required
to submit certifications or documentation which clearly show that they
can receive funds from the Department of Commerce (DOC) for this
research. Foreign researchers must subcontract with U.S. proposers.
Non-federal researchers should comply with their institutional
requirements for proposal submission. DOC requirements will prevail if
there is a conflict between DOC requirements and institutional
requirements. Non-federal researchers affiliated with NOAA-University
Joint Institutes should comply with joint institutional requirements.
Proposals deemed acceptable from Federal researchers will be funded
through NOAA via a mechanism other than a grant or cooperative
agreement; non-federal awardees will be funded through their joint
institutes, as appropriate, or through a grant from NOAA or NSF.
Proposals selected for NSF funding will be required to submit
additional forms and paperwork for grants processing directly to NSF.
Full Proposals
Proposals submitted to this announcement must include the original
and two unbound copies of the 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 high-resolution graphics,
unusual- sized materials (not 8.5 x 11''), or otherwise unusual
materials submitted as part of the proposal. Facsimile transmissions
and electronic mail submission of full proposals will not be accepted.
[[Page 11844]]
Required Elements
All recipients are to closely follow the instructions and
guidelines in the preparation of the standard NOAA Application Forms
and Kit requirements listed in paragraph under Part II: Further
Suppementary Information. Each proposal must also include the following
eight elements:
(1) Signed Summary title page--The title page should be signed by
the Principal Investigator (PI) and the institutional representative.
The Summary Title page identifies the project's title starting with the
acronym GLOBEC, a short title less than 50 characters), and the lead
PI's name and affiliation, complete address, phone, FAX, and E-mail
information.
(2) One-page abstract/project summary--An abstract must be included
and should contain an introduction of the problem, rationale,
scientific objectives and/or hypotheses to be tested, and a brief
summary of work to be completed. The abstract should appear on a
separate page, headed with the proposal title, institution(s),
investigator(s), total proposed cost, and budget period.
(3) Statement of work/project description--The first section of the
Project Description must be a Statement of Work for Year One, followed
by a section of Relevant Results from Prior Support (not to exceed five
pages). The remainder of the Project Description is as follows: The
proposed project must be completely described, including identification
of the problem, scientific objectives, proposed methodology, relevance
to the overall goals of the GLOBEC NEP program, and its scientific
priorities.
Project management should be clearly identified with a description
of the functions of each principal investigator within a team. It is
important to provide a full scientific justification for the research;
do not simply reiterate justifications presented in this notice. The
project description section (including Relevant Results from Prior
Support,) should not exceed 15 pages.
Both page limits are inclusive of figures and other visual
materials, but exclusive of references and milestone chart. This
section should also include:
(a) the objective for the period of proposed work and its expected
significance;
(b) the relation to the present state of knowledge in the field and
relation to previous work and work in progress by the proposing
principal investigator(s);
(c) a discussion of how the proposed project lends value to the
overall GLOBEC NEP program goals, and
(d) potential coordination with other investigators.
(e) References cited--Reference information is required. Each
reference must include the name(s) of all authors in the same sequence
in which they appear in the publications, the article title, volume
number, year of publications, and page numbers. While there is no
established page limitation, this section should include bibliographic
citations only and should not be used to provide further annotated
information outside the 15-page project description.
(4) Milestone chart--Time lines of major tasks covering the
duration of the proposed project up to 60 months.
(5) Budget--Applicants must submit the Facesheet, Standard Form 424
(Rev 7-97), ``Application for Federal Assistance'', to indicate the
total amount of funding proposed for the whole project period.
Proposals must also include annual budgets which correspond with the
descriptions provided in the statement of work. Therefore, applicants
are also required to submit the Standard Form 424A (Rev 7-97), ``Budget
Information - Non-Construction Programs'' in order to provide a
detailed budget for fiscal year increments (1999, 2000, . . . 2003).
Include a budget narrative/justification to support all proposed
budget object class categories. Note that for multi-year project
periods, the out-year budget estimates are to be included in Section E,
page 2, on the Standard Form 424A. These forms are included on the COP
website listed under Part II, section (10) Application Forms and Kit.
The program office shall review the proposed budgets to determine the
necessity and adequacy of proposed costs for accomplishing the
objectives of the proposed grant.
NSF requires information on ship requirements in order to schedule
time on University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS)
vessels. Ship requirements and costs do not need to be included on the
budget forms SF 424 or SF 424A, but must be separately identified to
NSF by submitting a NSF-UNOLS Ship Time Request Form (available from
UNOLS Office, University of Rhode
Island, P.O. Box 392, Saunderstown, RI 02874, Telephone:
(401) 874-6825, Fax: (401) 874-6486, and email address:
[email protected].
The form is included as Appendix A of ``Instructions for
Preparation of Proposals Requesting Support for Oceanographic
Facilities'', NSF 94-124. The form is also available via the UNOLS
web site at http://www.gso.uri.edu/unols/ship/shiptime.html. Paper
copies may be requested from UNOLS, but the electronic version is
strongly preferred for ease of information exchange and processing. If
no ship time is required, submit the UNOLS form and indicate that no
shiptime is required.
(6) Biographical sketch--Abbreviated curriculum vitae, two pages
per investigator, are sought with each proposal. Include a list of up
to five publications most closely related to the proposed project and
up to five other significant publications. A list of all persons
(including their organizational affiliation), who have collaborated on
a project, book, article, or paper within the last 48 months should be
included in alphabetical order. If there are no collaborators, this
should be so indicated. Students, post-doctoral associates, and
graduate and postgraduate advisors of the PI should also be disclosed.
This information is used to help identify potential conflicts of
interest or bias in the selection of reviewers.
(7) Current and pending support--NSF requires information on
current and pending support of all proposers. Describe all current and
pending support for all PIs, including subsequent funding in the case
of continuing grants. A model format is available on NSF Form 1239,
available at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?99form1239. This form is
part of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide and Proposal Forms Kit. Use of
this form is optional; however, the categories of information included
on the NSF Form 1239 must be provided.
All current support from whatever source (e.g., Federal, state or
local government agencies, private foundations, industrial or other
commercial organizations) must be listed. The proposed project and all
other projects or activities requiring a portion of time of the PI and
other senior personnel should be included, even if they receive no
salary support from the project(s). The total award amount for the
entire award period covered (including indirect costs) should be shown
as well as the number of person-months per year to be devoted to the
project, regardless of source of support.
(8) Proposal format and assembly--Clamp the proposal in the upper
left-hand corner, but leave it unbound. Use one inch (2.5 cm) margins
at the top, bottom, left and right of each page. Use a clear and easily
legible type face in standard 12 points size. Print on one side of the
page only.
[[Page 11845]]
Part II: Further Supplementary Information
(1) Program Authorities: 33 U.S.C. 1121; 33 U.S.C. 883a et seq. 33
U.S.C. 1442; l6 U.S.C. 1456c; and the National Science Foundation Act
of l950, as amended (42 U.S.C. l86l-75)
(2) Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers: 11.478 for the
Coastal Ocean Program; and 47.050 for the National Science Foundation.
(3) Program Description: See initial COP General Notice--63 FR
44237, August 18, 1998.
(4) Funding Availability: Funding is contingent upon receipt of
fiscal years 1999 - 2003 federal appropriations. The anticipated
maximum annual funding for NEP GLOBEC activities is approximately $6 to
$8 million, which may not occur until 2001; until then the program
expects increments from its current level of approximately $2.5 million
per year. Of the annual total, approximately half will be devoted to
CCS activities, and half to CGOA research.
If an application is selected for funding, NSF and NOAA have no
obligation to provide any additional prospective funding in connection
with that award in subsequent years. Renewal of an award to increase
funding or extend the period of performance is at the total discretion
of the funding agencies. Not all proposals selected will receive
funding for the entire duration of the CCS program. Moreover, start
dates for some proposals may be delayed, or proposals may be funded for
the second of the two field years only. Proposals selected for funding
by NSF must comply with NSF grants administration requirements for any
additional budget forms required by that agency. Publication of this
announcement does not obligate any agency to any specific award or to
obligate any part of the entire amount of funds available.
(5) Matching Requirements: None.
(6) Type of Funding Instrument: Project grants
(7) Eligibility Criteria: Opportunity is extended to universities,
colleges, junior colleges, technical schools, institutions,
laboratories, and non-profit organizations. Non-federal researchers
should comply with their institutional requirements for proposal
submission. Federal researchers in successful multi-investigator
proposals will be funded through NOAA as NSF does not normally support
research or education activities by scientists, engineers, or educators
employed by Federal agencies or Federally Funded Research and
Development Centers (FFRDCs).
(8) Award Period: Full Proposals can cover a project period from 1
to 5 years, i.e. from date of award for up to 60 consecutive months.
Multi-year project period funding may be funded incrementally on an
annual basis. For NOAA awards, each annual award shall require a
Statement of Work that can be easily separated into annual increments
of meaningful work which represents solid accomplishments if
prospective funding is not made available, or is discontinued.
(9) Indirect Costs: If indirect costs are proposed, the following
statement applies: The total dollar amount of the indirect costs
proposed in an application must not exceed the indirect cost rate
negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal agency prior to the
proposed effective date of the award.
(10) Application Forms and Kit: When applying for financial
assistance under this announcement, applicants will be able to obtain a
copy of the Federal Register announcement and a standard NOAA
Application Kit from the COP home page at the following World Wide Web
address: http://www.cop.noaa.gov/cop-home.html. If you are unable to
access this information, you may also call COP at (301) 713-3338,
extension 116 to leave a mail request.
The Standard Forms 424 (Rev July 1997) Application for Federal
Assistance; 424A (Rev July 1997); Budget Information - Non-Construction
Programs; and 424B (Rev July 1997) Assurances - Non Construction
Programs, shall be used in applying for financial assistance. In
addition, Forms CD-511, Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension
and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and
Lobbying; CD-512, Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension,
Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions
and Lobbying (this certification is to remain with the recipient and is
not forwarded to the Grants Officer); and SF-LLL, Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities, if applicable.
(11) Project Funding Priorities: Priority consideration will be
given to a set of proposals that provide balanced coverage of the
overall goals of the GLOBEC Northeast Pacific program and avoid
substantial duplication of completed or ongoing work.
(12) Evaluation Criteria: Consideration for financial assistance
will be given to those proposals that address one or more of the
overall GLOBEC NEP program goals listed above and meet the following
evaluation criteria:
(a) Scientific Merit (20 percent): Intrinsic scientific value of
the subject and the study proposed.
(b) Relevance (20 percent): Importance and relevance to the overall
goals of the GLOBEC NEP program and to the process oriented field
program goals listed above.
(c) Methodology (20 percent): Focused scientific objective and
strategy, including measurement strategies and data management
considerations; project milestones; and final products.
(d) Readiness (20 percent): Nature of the problem; relevant history
and status of existing work; level of planning, including existence of
supporting documents; strength of proposed scientific and management
team; past performance record of proposers.
(e) Linkages (10 percent): Connections to existing or planned
national and international programs; and partnerships with other GLOBEC
participants, when appropriate.
(f) Costs (10 percent): Adequacy of proposed resources; appropriate
share of total available resources; prospects for joint funding;
identification of long-term commitments.(Matching funding is
encouraged, but is not required.)
(13) Selection Procedures: All proposals will be evaluated and
ranked individually in accordance with the assigned weights of the
above evaluation criteria by (a) independent peer mail review and by
(b) independent peer panel review. Both NOAA and non-NOAA experts in
the field may be used in this process. The peer mail reviewers will be
several individuals with expertise in the subjects addressed by
particular proposals. Each mail reviewer will see only certain
individual proposals within their area of expertise, and rank them
individually on a scale of one to five, where scores represent
respectively; excellent, very good, good, fair, poor.
The peer panel will be comprised of 4 - 8 individuals, with each
individual having expertise in a separate area, so that the panel as a
whole covers a range of scientific expertise. The panel will have
access to the mail reviews of all proposals, and will use the mail
reviews in discussion and evaluation of theentire slate of proposals.
Each panel member will rank proposals on the scale of one to five, as
above.
The program officer(s) will not vote as part of the independent
peer panel. Those proposals receiving an average panel rank of fair or
poor will not be given further consideration and will be notified of
non-selection. For the proposals rated by the panel as either
Excellent, Very Good, or Good, the NOAA GLOBEC Program Manager and
[[Page 11846]]
the NSF Biological Oceanography Program Director will first apply the
project funding priorities listed in section 11; second, select the
proposals to be recommended for funding; third, determine the total
duration of funding for each proposal; and fourth, determine the amount
of funds available for each proposal. Awards may not necessarily be
made to the proposals scored highest by individual panel and/or mail
reviews.
The NOAA GLOBEC Program Manager or the NSF Biological Oceanography
Program Director or staff will notify lead proposers for those projects
recommended for support, and negotiate revisions in the proposed work
and budget. Final awards will be issued by the agency responsible for a
specific project after receipt and processing of any specific materials
required by the agency.
When a decision has been made (whether an award or declination),
verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of the reviewers, and
summaries of review panel deliberations, if any, are available to the
proposer. No information directly identifying reviewers or other
pending or declined proposals will be released.
(14) Other Requirements: See initial COP Notice--63 FR 44237,
August 18, 1998, at the COP Internet Site: http://www.cop.noaa.gov/cop-
home.html.
(15) This notification involves collections of information subject
to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act. The standard NOAA
forms have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
under control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040 and 0348-0046.
The NSF-UNOLS Ship Time Request Form and the NSF Form for Current and
Pending Support have been approved by OMB as follows:
Proposals to NSF must include a one-page NSF-UNOLS Ship Time
Request Form. The investigator is responsible for sending copies to the
UNOLS office and ship operators. The form is included in Appendix A of
``Instructions for Preparation of Proposals Requesting Support for
Oceanographic Facilities'' NSF 94-124. The form, also titled NSF Form
831 (Rev July 1992) has OMB clearance through September l999 under
control number OMB #3145-0058.
The form is also available via the UNOLS web site at http://
www.gso.uri.edu/unols/ship/shiptime.html. Paper copies also may be
requested from UNOLS, but the electronic version is strongly preferred
for ease of information exchange and processing. The form has been
available electronically since l994. The NSF guidelines and ship time
form were included in the then-existing e-mail based Internet
electronic dissemination system operated by NSF - Science and
Technology Information System). The NSF Form l239 (Oct 1998) for
Current and Pending Support is cleared as part of the NSF Grant
Proposal Guide and Proposal Forms Kit under OMB# 3145-0058 with an
expiration date of September l999.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required
to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure
to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements
of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection displays a
current valid OMB control number.
Dated: March 4, 1999.
Captain Ted I. Lillestolen,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Service and Coastal Zone
Management.
Dated: March 2, 1999.
G. Michael Purdy,
Director, Division of Ocean Sciences, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 99-5956 Filed 3-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F