Understanding multi-stressor impacts on marine ecosystems under climate change

Background
The National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce, in partnership with the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) and the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), is soliciting proposals to understand the combined impacts of multiple stressors on the function and health of marine ecosystems within the context of climate change. The purpose is to improve place-based management of marine protected areas and enable proactive protection of critical ecosystems under future climate scenarios.

Grant Details
Climate change is exacerbating existing environmental stressors such as hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and ocean acidification. The program aims to understand how these multiple stressors interact and subsequently impact species, habitat assemblages, and ecosystems. The research will focus on determining climate-related thresholds and tipping points for loss of ecosystem function due to the combined effects of ocean and coastal stressors, identifying limits and tolerances for species to ecosystem stressors, downscaling climate scenarios using regional modeling frameworks, conducting lab and/or field studies to better understand the relationship between multiple stressors, and focusing on or having application to species and/or ecosystems of importance to U.S. MPAs.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible applicants include U.S. institutions of higher education, other non-profits, state, local, Indian Tribal Governments, U.S. Territories, and for-profit organizations. Federal agencies that possess the statutory authority to receive transfers of funds are also eligible to submit applications for intra- or inter-agency funds transfers through this competition.

Period of Performance
The funding period covers up to four years with an approximate annual budget for each project up to $1,000,000. It should not exceed $4,000,000 total per project.

Grant Value
Funding is contingent upon availability of Federal appropriations. If funds become available for this program, 1-2 projects are expected to be supported for up to four years with an approximate annual budget for each project up to $1,000,000.