Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G22AS00379

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) program. The project supports research on sediment transport in tidal marshes, with an emphasis on the combined impacts of storm surge and waves.

What is the main goal of the project?

The core purpose is to improve understanding of how storms move sediment through marsh systems and how that movement affects marsh resilience, restoration outcomes, and coastal protection benefits. The work is framed around widespread wetland loss in many coastal regions and the resulting reduction in natural capacity to absorb runoff and buffer communities from storm-driven waves and flooding.

Where is the project focused?

The opportunity is centered on the Jamaica Bay watershed and estuary. This area has been heavily modified over the past century and is a focus of restoration efforts aimed at rebuilding wetland function and developing living shoreline approaches that can reduce storm surge impacts.

Why is sediment transport in tidal marshes a priority for this work?

Marsh survival and performance depend heavily on whether enough sediment is delivered and retained to build and maintain marsh elevation. If sediment supply and deposition do not keep pace with sea level rise, marshes can drown, fragment, or convert to open water, reducing ecological benefits and weakening storm protection.

What coastal hazards and environmental pressures does the project address?

The project is designed to address storm-driven processes (storm surge and waves) and their role in erosion, resuspension, and deposition in marsh environments, in the broader context of accelerating sea level rise and coastal wetland loss.

What types of methods or approaches are expected?

The funded work is expected to use realistic hydrodynamic and sediment transport modeling to simulate how sediment moves under a range of storm forcing conditions. This includes scenarios with varying storm intensities and characteristics, and how surge levels and wave energy interact.

What storm conditions are expected to be studied?

The modeling is expected to examine a range of storm forcing scenarios with varying intensities and characteristics, specifically capturing how storm surge levels and wave energy combine to influence erosion, resuspension, and deposition patterns in tidal marshes.

What is meant by “combined impacts of storm surge and waves”?

In this opportunity, it refers to analyzing storm conditions where elevated water levels (surge) and wave energy occur together and jointly shape sediment movement, including erosion, resuspension, and deposition in marsh systems.

How does wetland distribution around Jamaica Bay factor into the project?

A major component is understanding how the spatial arrangement and distribution of wetlands around Jamaica Bay influences storm surge and wave height patterns. The work aims to connect wetland geometry and placement to measurable differences in surge propagation, wave attenuation, and sediment delivery pathways.

What kinds of outputs or insights is the project intended to produce?

The opportunity is aimed at producing modeling-based insights that can guide wetland restoration planning and help evaluate how well Jamaica Bay marshes can remain sustainable and protective under storm conditions and sea level rise.

How is this related to wetland restoration and living shoreline approaches?

The work is motivated by ongoing restoration efforts in and around Jamaica Bay that aim to rebuild wetland function and develop living shoreline approaches. A key question is whether existing and newly restored wetlands will persist as sea level rises, which depends in part on storm-driven sediment delivery and retention.

What does “marsh resilience” mean in the context of this opportunity?

Within the scope of this announcement, marsh resilience is closely tied to whether marshes can maintain elevation and function over time. That is influenced by storm-driven sediment transport and whether deposition and retention can keep pace with sea level rise.

What is the funding mechanism?

The award mechanism is a cooperative agreement. This typically indicates substantial involvement and collaboration by the federal agency during the project rather than a more hands-off grant relationship.

What is the CESU program and why is it used here?

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework is designed to facilitate collaborative research, technical assistance, and education partnerships between federal agencies and affiliated institutions. This opportunity is issued specifically through the CESU framework to support collaborative work aligned with the project goals.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to participating partners of the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

The agency is the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

What is the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number is G22AS00379.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number listed is 15.808.

What is the activity category for this funding?

The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What is the maximum award amount?

The award ceiling (maximum award amount) is $300,000.

What was the closing date listed in the announcement?

The original closing date listed is July 1, 2022.

What broader problem is this opportunity responding to?

The opportunity is set within the broader context of widespread wetland loss in coastal regions, which has reduced natural capacity to absorb urban runoff and buffer communities from damaging storm-driven waves and flooding.

How does sea level rise relate to the research goals?

A central concern is whether existing marshes and newly restored wetlands can persist as sea level rises. The project focuses on how storm-driven sediment delivery and deposition help marshes build and maintain elevation; without sufficient sediment, marshes may drown or convert to open water.

What specific marsh processes are expected to be addressed?

Based on the announcement, the work is expected to address erosion, resuspension, and deposition patterns in marsh environments, and how these processes change under different combinations of storm surge and wave conditions.

How does the project connect wetland geometry to hazard mitigation?

The project aims to link wetland geometry and placement to differences in surge propagation and wave attenuation, and then connect those hydrodynamic effects to sediment delivery pathways. This is intended to clarify which landscape configurations best support both marsh sustainability and storm hazard reduction.

Is this opportunity intended to be collaborative with USGS?

Yes. Because the award mechanism is a cooperative agreement, it signals substantial federal involvement and collaboration during the project.

What makes this opportunity specific to the North Atlantic Coast CESU?

The opportunity is issued through the CESU framework and eligibility is restricted to partners of the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, making it a targeted competition within that network.