[Coral-List] NOAA Habitat Focus Area Grant Announcement - FL, PR, and AK

[Liz Fairey - NOAA Federal]

NOAA announces the Habitat Blueprint - Coastal and Marine Habitat Focus
Area Grants for Biscayne Bay, FL, Puerto Rico’s Northeast Reserves and
Culebra Island, and Kachemak Bay, AK for the 2015 fiscal year. The
principal objective of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Habitat Blueprint - Coastal and Marine Habitat Focus Area
Grants solicitation is to identify and support comprehensive and
cooperative habitat conservation project(s) in NOAA Habitat Focus Areas
(HFAs) that sustain resilient and thriving marine and coastal resources,
communities, and economies. http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/habitatblueprint/

Who: Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education, non-profits,
commercial (for-profit) organizations, U.S. territories, and state, local
and Native American tribal governments.

Where: Three eligible NOAA HFAs are 1) Biscayne Bay, FL 2) Puerto Rico’s
Northeast Reserves and Culebra Island, and 3) Kachemak Bay, AK.

Program Priorities:

1) Biscayne Bay: Priority consideration will be given to projects that: 1)
analyze existing data on chlorophyll a concentrations in Biscayne Bay in
relation to canal load data; 2) develop nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient
budgets; or 3) conduct short-term experiments on the responses of algal
species (especially those contributing to recent algal blooms in the Bay)
to input concentrations of primary nutrients (particularly nitrogen and
phosphorus, but also silica and potentially relevant micronutrients). These
efforts to identify and eliminate principal nutrient sources and other
factors contributing to bloom conditions should be accompanied by a broader
education and outreach effort aimed at reducing nutrient inputs to the Bay.

2) Northeast Reserves and Culebra Island: Priority consideration will be
given to projects that: 1) reduce boating and other recreational activity
impacts to nearshore habitats through the use of habitat protection
measures, effective enforcement, and education and outreach activities; 2)
implement priority Land-Based Sources of Pollution (LBSP) management
actions identified in Watershed Management plans for the Northeast Reserves
and Culebra Island portions of the HFA; and 3) promote coral ecosystem
habitat and resource restoration by expanding coral population enhancement
efforts (such as nurseries and out-plantings) identifying priority
locations for coral nurseries, and enhancing herbivorous vertebrate and/or
invertebrate stocks to increase herbivory and protect coral habitats.

3) Kachemak Bay: Priority consideration will be given to projects that: 1)
reduce the risk of harmful algal blooms to commercial, recreational, and
subsistence shellfish harvests; 2) improve regional capacity to identify
non-native marine invasive species and implement and reduce potential
vectors for invasive species; 3) identify sensitive coastal habitats for
protection priority during potential oil and chemical spills; or 4) improve
fishery restoration and management by being more responsive to short- and
long-term changes in ecosystem processes, including ocean acidification.

Funding Amount: NOAA anticipates approximately $1.2 million may be
available over the next two years to maintain selected awards, dependent
upon the level of funding made available by Congress. NOAA will not accept
proposals with a Federal request less than $50,000 or more than $500,000
for a two year period. NOAA anticipates typical awards will range from
$100,000 to $400,000 over two years. Proposals that extend for a one or
two-year period of performance will be accepted.

How: Applicants should apply through www.grants.gov; however, applicants
unable to use www.grants.gov may mail a complete application package
including the required Federal forms, which must be signed by hand and
dated. All applications must follow the specific application requirements
described in the full Federal funding opportunity announcement.

When: Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or
received by www.Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern time on March 30, 2015. Use
of a delivery service must be documented with a receipt. No fax or e-mail
applications will be accepted.

Interested applicants may obtain the full Federal Funding Opportunity
announcement by visiting www.grants.gov, clicking on the “Search Grants,
tab” and searching by funding opportunity number
(NOAA-NMFS-HCPO-2015-2004363) or by CFDA number (11.463).

-- 
Liz Fairey
NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program
1315 East West Hwy
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-427-8632