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Dear All:<br><br>
The deadline for submission of proposals for coral reef or related
research using the unique research facility provided by the U/W Habitat
Aquarius is fast approaching. The habitat is located at ca. 60 ft
depth at the outer edge of the Florida reef tract, off Conch Reef.
It is an ideal research platform for studies that require lots and lots
of U/W time and night diving, and/or require access to computers
and other electronic lab or field equipment. It can accomodate dive
teams of 4 scientists, and additional scientific support can be
accomodated on-shore at the field lab. The NURC/UNCW program tries
to fund 6 to 8 research programs each funding year for high-quality
research using the habitat. Investigators can also request
additional day-boat support for complimentary work in shallower
water. <br><br>
Proposals are due August 20th. A more detailed description of the
entire NURC RFP follows. Please contact Dr. Steven Miller or myself
if you'd like more information about the capabilities of the habitat, or
to discuss potential research ideas. We strongly encourage
investigators from other countries to consider applying for Aquarius
time.<br><br>
Cheers,<br><br>
Alina Szmant<br><br>
<br>
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<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4>CORAL REEF RESEARCH FUNDING:
FINAL NOTICE<br><br>
Aquarius Underwater Laboratory in the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary<br><br>
Aquarius is part of a multifaceted coral research program that is
operated by The National Undersea Research Center at the University of
North Carolina at Wilmington. The underwater laboratory is a
saturation diving facility located at Conch Reef, 3.5 miles offshore,
approximately 60 feet deep, and adjacent to well developed deep spur and
groove coral reefs. The advantages of saturation diving from
Aquarius over conventional surface based diving are
significant:<br><br>
1. Nearly unlimited bottom time (9 hours at 95 feet or less)<br>
2. Platform with sophisticated power and computer capabilities to
conduct in situ experiments<br>
3. Round the clock access to the coral reef that is independent of
surface based support<br><br>
Educational and outreach opportunities also exist based on newly
installed video conferencing equipment that allows point-to-point
connections anywhere in the world fast and easy. Web cameras
and video streaming are also routinely used to support education and
outreach efforts. For more information please visit:
<a href="http://www.uncwil.edu/nurc/aquarius" eudora="autourl">http://www.uncwil.edu/nurc/aquarius</a><br><br>
Projects are selected by peer review based on scientific merit and
relevance to the program's mission. A maximum of $50,000 in science
support may be requested. Awards from previous years averaged
$25,000 and are partly determined by NOAA funding to the center, and
partly by peer review rankings. Undersea system and support vessel
time are provided by the center at no cost to the principal
investigator. A full description of the entire 2002 research
announcement for work throughout the southeast United States can be found
at the center's web site:<br>
<a href="http://www.uncwil.edu/nurc" eudora="autourl">http://www.uncwil.edu/nurc</a>.<br><br>
For 2002, in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Dry
Tortugas the following projects are identified as high priority, but
proposals are not limited only to these topics:<br><br>
Descriptive and process based studies that
evaluate the effectiveness of marine protected areas.<br><br>
Coral reef research and monitoring programs that
help managers identify factors affecting the condition of coral reefs in
Florida, especially work that helps distinguish between natural and
humancaused changes.<br><br>
Studies that increase our knowledge of factors
that affect biodiversity on coral reefs and other nearshore habitats in
the Florida Keys.<br><br>
Monitoring and research projects that
specifically identify factors responsible for causing direct and indirect
effects of coral decline. For example, how much coral is killed by
coral bleaching, disease, and other factors?<br><br>
Coral studies that focus on factors affecting
recruitment, including ecology, population genetics, and innovative work
that enhances recruitment rates for restoration.<br><br>
Studies that measure coral growth and/or
bioerosion rates, especially within the context of factors affecting
coral reef condition.<br><br>
Innovative projects that use or develop
bioindicators (at biochemical or organismal scales) to assess overall
reef condition, or detect significant ecological or environmental change
(e.g. nutrient enrichment, chemical pollution, global warming).
Whole organism studies are sought that focus on (but are not limited to)
echinoderms, smaller benthic invertebrates, and other benthic species
that respond quickly to environmental change.<br><br>
Available systems in addition to Aquarius (as indicated in previous
announcements) to support undersea research in 2002 include:<br><br>
Scuba and nitrox diving throughout the Keys,
including shore based and laboratory support out of the center's Key
Largo facility.<br><br>
Mixed gas scuba diving to 300 fsw.<br><br>
Remotely Operated Vehicles to 900 fsw.<br><br>
Saturation diving from the Aquarius undersea
laboratory<br><br>
Preliminary proposals are strongly encouraged to ensure that proposed
research is appropriate for current science initiatives and are
operationally feasible. Preproposals consist of a brief, twopage or less
description of the proposed investigation, including objectives, methods,
justification and budget. Proposal guidelines contain a full description
of center facilities and systems, proposal conditions and format, and
required forms and are available at the Center's web site (address
above).<br><br>
Proposal deadline: Final Proposals must be received by the center no
later than August 20, 2001.<br><br>
For further information, contact:<br><br>
Thomas Potts<br>
NURC/UNCW<br>
5600 Masonboro Loop Road<br>
1 Marvin Moss Lane<br>
Wilmington, NC 28409<br>
Ph: 9109622442<br>
Fax: 9109622444<br>
pottst@uncwil.edu<br><br>
For questions related to the Florida Program or Aquarius please
contact:<br><br>
Dr. Steven Miller<br>
NURC/UNCW<br>
3054510233<br>
millers@uncwil.edu<br><br>
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