[Coral-List] Fwd: ICRS 2016 Outcomes: Coral Adaptation Challenge RFP

[Vassil Zlatarski]

Regarding the announcement of Coral Reef Alliance:

The proposal is facing not only three screen doors (Jameson et al., 2002)
but much more  - evolutionary prediction concerning coral reef ecosystem
and I am afraid the recommended model or opinion could be based on sand
....

Furthermore, the reasons for reserves receive additional strength because
such project will require serious collaboration between experts of
different disciplines and probably use of supercomputer, however the
offered funds are not even close to be enough.  Also, are the deadlines
realistic?  The announcement doesn’t sound adequate.

Finally, it will be crucial this project to be done by independent
researchers, truly with no conflict of interest.

Hope I am wrong.

Cheers,

Vassil


Vassil Zlatarski

D.Sc. (Biology), Ph.D. (Geology)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ISRS Member Services <isrs at sgmeet.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 7:43 PM
Subject: ICRS 2016 Outcomes: Coral Adaptation Challenge RFP
To: vzlatarski at gmail.com


[image: 2016 International Coral Reef Symposium] <http://coralreefs.org/>

The Coral Reef Alliance <http://www.coral.org/> and one of its loyal
funders are pleased to announce a call for proposals for the Coral
Adaptation Challenge <http://coral.org/adaptation_challenge/>.

At the recent International Coral Reef Symposium in Honolulu, Hawai‘i
<https://sgmeet.com/icrs2016/> many speakers raised concerns about whether
the rates of evolution by natural selection will be fast enough to keep up
with the rate of current and future environmental change. The answer to the
question of whether corals can adapt quickly enough is critically important
for evaluating the merit of alternative conservation strategies. The Coral
Reef Alliance is seeking proposals that will develop compelling answers to
the following question:

*What is the probability that reef-building corals can adapt to rising
temperatures by the year 2100?*

The project has four phases:

   1. Individuals and/or groups submit proposals for how they would answer
   this question by October 6, 2016
   2. Three successful applicants will be selected by November 18, 2016 to
   receive a total of $18,000 each to conduct the proposed work
   3. All three applicants (or representatives from groups) plus additional
   experts in the field will convene in April 2017 to share and evaluate
   results, and develop a plan for disseminating findings through at least one
   peer-reviewed publication
   4. A manuscript is submitted for publication by August 2017

*We are launching Phase I with a request for proposals
<http://coral.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/RFP_Adaptation_Challenge.pdf>.
Successful proposals will:*

   - Focus on synthesizing existing information, not collecting new data
   - Outline a mathematical framework that will provide an answer to this
   question using empirical parameter estimates whenever possible and justify
   when and why parameter estimates are based on expert judgment
   - Provide answers that can be generalized for corals around the world,
   rather than focusing on a single species or location

Any individual or group of collaborators may apply.

To apply:

   - Please submit a two-page proposal on or before 5pm PDT, October 6,
   2016. Please review the Call for Proposals
   <http://coral.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/RFP_Adaptation_Challenge.pdf>
   carefully for further details.
   - Proposals should be submitted to adaptation at coral.org

We encourage you to share this information with colleagues, educational
institutions, and organizations.

Kind regards,
The Coral Reef Alliance Team