Request for Proposals

[George D. Dennis]

NOAA National Undersea Research Program 
CARIBBEAN MARINE RESEARCH CENTER 

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 

Undersea Research on Tropical and Subtropical Marine Systems 

Funding is available for undersea research in the south Florida and 
Caribbean area for 1997 through the Caribbean Marine Research Center (CMRC) 
under the auspices of the NOAA National Undersea Research Program (NURP). 
CMRC will provide support for research activities that require undersea 
facilities or equipment such as manned submersible, remotely operated 
vehicles, or wet diving to accomplish their goals.  Three research themes 
(below) have been selected for 1997 and additional NOAA strategic goals are 
listed in the proposal guidelines. 

Sustainable Fisheries - Marine Reserves 

Marine reserves or protected areas have the potential to protect and 
maintain fishery resources. There is still limited information on the 
effectiveness of reserves and little quantitative data are available on the 
processes by which reserves would operate. CMRC is particularly interested 
in supporting projects on the use of marine reserves in helping maintain 
sustainable fisheries.  In addition we encourage proposals for study of the 
role of reserves in protecting threatened and endangered species. 

Healthy Coastal Ecosystems  -  Coral Reefs 

The increased awareness of coral reef degradation throughout the world has 
prompted CMRC to initiate a coral reef research program centered on the 
long-term study and understanding of shallow and deep coral reef ecosystems. 
Areas of interest include: 1) coral bleaching studies in the field and 
laboratory, including measurements of ambient solar irradiance and 
fluorescence spectra of coral pigments, relative to stress such as exposure 
to high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation, and 2) the effects of 
natural and anthropogenic influences, including pollution, on coral reef 
health.  We especially encourage proposals making use of the comparative 
approach examining unimpacted and impacted areas in the Florida Keys and 
Bahamas. This would include building upon the accomplishments of our deep 
reef studies program in the Bahamas. Mass spawning, a relatively recent 
discovery in corals, is now documented to occur following the full moon in 
August/September at our marine field station at Lee Stocking Island, 
Bahamas, as well as at other sites around the Caribbean and Florida Keys. 
Little is known about this phenomena.  Scientists now have the unique 
opportunity to study reproduction and early life history stages in corals. 
Proposals are requested to further study the effects of mass spawning on the 
dynamics of coral reefs and its implications to coral reef management. 

Decadal-to-Centennial Change  
Paleo-oceanography from Coral Reefs 

The coral reefs provide an unique retrospective record of oceanographic 
conditions.  This information is essential for better modeling of climate 
change and assessing whether present days conditions are typical or not. 
CMRC is soliciting proposals to make use of undersea techniques to obtain 
quality long-term data sets that will improve the understanding of the role 
of the tropical ocean in global change. 

Laboratory Facility Use  

CMRC operates a marine field station at Lee Stocking Island, Exuma Cays, 
Bahamas.  This laboratory is located in a tropical reef environment with 
relatively pristine conditions.  A wide range of habitats including coral 
reefs, seagrass beds, subtidal stromatolites, ooid shoals and shelf-edge 
dropoff are in close proximity and easily accessible for study.  The 
relatively unimpacted nature of the environment allows for a unique 
opportunity for comparative studies with similar heavily impacted reefs in 
the Florida Keys. 

Facilities include SCUBA diving support, 24-hr AC power, air-conditioned 
laboratory space, flow-thru seawater system and vessel support.  CMRC will 
entertain program development (PD) proposals for use of the facilities at 
the marine laboratory with the goal of developing full proposals for future 
submittal.  Program Development proposals are short research proposals (2-3 
pages) reviewed internally that can include transportation to and from 
Florida to the island, meals and accommodations, SCUBA support, and vessel 
use. Investigators must provide  transportation to Florida, salaries, and 
any necessary supplies must be obtained from other funding sources. 

Proposals are accepted for work at any site in the Caribbean though we 
encourage investigators to first consider use of our excellent facilities at 
Lee Stocking Island for their projects.  If you are interested in submitting 
a proposal in one of the above research areas please contact CMRC at the 
address below for further details.  A short pre-proposal (2-3 pages) 
describing research goals and support needs is required by 15 July 1996 (fax 
if possible).  Full proposals will be requested based on internal review of 
the pre-proposal.  Funds for this program are primarily allocated for 
logistical support. Proposals that have cofunding for data analysis and 
investigator salaries have the greatest rate of approval. Proposal 
preparation guidelines can be obtained on request from the address below. 

Deadline for full proposals is 31 August 1996. Proposals are peer reviewed 
through a mail and panel review process.  Investigators will be notified of 
the status of their proposals in December 1996. 

Address proposals, questions, or comments to  

		George Dennis 
		Science Director 
		Caribbean Marine Research Center	 
		805 East 46th Place	 
		Vero Beach, FL   32963 

		561-234-9931	Voice 
		561-234-9954	FAX 

		cmrc at vero.com 

Check our web site for more details on our strategic goals, information on 
proposal preparation, previous research projects, publication list, and 
present research activities. 

http://www.cmrc.org 
-- 
Regards, 
George Dennis 

Caribbean Marine Research Center	561-234-9931 (V) 
805 East 46th Pl.			561-234-9954 (F) 
Vero Beach, FL  32963		gdennis at fit.edu 
>>>>>>**Note our new area code**<<<<<<