Lagoon trophic ecological connectivity and comparison to other Arctic lagoon systems | P19AS00578

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00578

The grant opportunity titled "Lagoon trophic ecological connectivity and comparison to other Arctic lagoon systems" (Funding Opportunity Number P19AS00578) is a National Park Service (NPS) project under the U.S. Department of the Interior focused on improving scientific understanding of Arctic lagoon ecosystems in northwestern Alaska. The central idea is to take existing baseline information already collected by the NPS Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Program, specifically the data produced through the Lagoon Communities Monitoring Vital Sign, and use it to build a clearer, more complete picture of how lagoon systems function in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and Cape Krusenstern National Monument. Rather than starting from scratch, the project leverages established monitoring datasets so they can be analyzed in a broader ecological context and connected to emerging research efforts across the Arctic.

A key driver behind the project is the growing ability to compare NPS-managed lagoons with other Arctic lagoon systems, especially as new long-term research infrastructure comes online. The announcement points to the establishment of the Beaufort Lagoon Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, along with other lagoon assessment research being developed outside of NPS lands, as a major opportunity. By tying NPS monitoring data to these wider regional efforts, the NPS aims to evaluate whether the lagoons it manages behave similarly to or differently from other Arctic lagoons in terms of food-web structure (trophic relationships), ecological connectivity (how organisms and nutrients move among habitats), and overall ecosystem functioning. This comparative angle is important because it helps place local observations in a broader Arctic framework, which improves confidence in conclusions about trends, vulnerabilities, and future conditions.

The practical purpose of this work is to help the NPS understand what ongoing environmental change means for lagoon ecosystems, with particular attention to increasing ocean temperatures. The project is intended to clarify how warming and related shifts may affect lagoon flora and fauna, and how those biological changes feed back into lagoon functioning. In Arctic lagoons, changes in temperature can influence the timing and productivity of primary producers, alter fish and invertebrate distributions, change predator-prey relationships, and affect the movement of marine and freshwater species through lagoon corridors. By focusing on trophic connectivity, the work is positioned to identify how energy and nutrients flow through lagoon food webs and how those flows might reorganize as conditions change.

Another stated outcome is better insight into how lagoon changes could affect subsistence opportunities. Lagoons in this region can be important for fish, birds, and other resources that local communities rely on, and shifts in ecological function can translate into real-world impacts such as changes in species availability, seasonal access, and the reliability of harvest opportunities. The project is framed to help the NPS interpret ecological changes not only as scientific signals but also as changes with potential cultural and practical consequences tied to subsistence use.

Administratively, this opportunity was issued as a discretionary funding action using a Cooperative Agreement, with an award ceiling of $269,016 and an expectation of a single award. The eligible applicant category listed is 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations other than institutions of higher education. However, the notice is explicitly a notice of intent to award to the Wildlife Conservation Society, and it states that applications will not be accepted from any other entity. The opportunity was created on August 22, 2019, with an original closing date of August 31, 2019, and it falls under the Environment, Information and Statistics activity category (CFDA 15.945). In short, it is a targeted, single-recipient cooperative project meant to synthesize and extend existing NPS lagoon monitoring data by comparing it against broader Arctic lagoon research, with the goal of improving understanding of ecosystem functioning under climate-driven change and clarifying implications for both biodiversity and subsistence.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the environment, information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Lagoon trophic ecological connectivity and comparison to other Arctic lagoon systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 22, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 31, 2019 This is a notice of intent to award to Wildlife Conservation Society. Applications will not be accepted from any other entity.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $269,016.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

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