Role of Marsh-Mangrove Interface Habitats as Aquatic Refuges for Wetland Fishes and other Aquatic Animals | W81EWF 20 SOI 0004

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 20 SOI 0004

The funding opportunity titled "Role of Marsh-Mangrove Interface Habitats as Aquatic Refuges for Wetland Fishes and other Aquatic Animals" is a discretionary research grant offered by the Department of Defense, specifically the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is published under Funding Opportunity Number W81EWF 20 SOI 0004 and was created on November 18, 2019, with an original application closing date of December 17, 2019. The program is framed as a science and technology research effort under CFDA 12.630, signaling that it sits within a broader federal research and development portfolio tied to defense and related environmental missions.

This opportunity supports a project focused on understanding how habitats located at the boundary between salt marshes and mangrove forests function as "refuge" areas for wetland fishes and other aquatic organisms. In practical terms, the emphasis is on the ecological role of interface zones where marsh vegetation and mangroves overlap or transition from one to the other, and how those areas may provide shelter, feeding opportunities, or survival advantages for aquatic animals. The topic is timely in many coastal regions because mangroves are expanding into areas historically dominated by marshes, and managers need evidence about whether these shifting habitat mosaics help or harm fish communities and other aquatic wildlife.

The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant. That typically means the agency expects to be more actively involved during the project period, such as collaborating on study design refinements, coordinating access to field sites, aligning methods with management needs, or participating in reviews of progress and deliverables. The opportunity anticipates making a single award, with an award ceiling of $652,380. With only one expected award, the competition is structured to select one lead recipient to carry out the primary research effort, potentially with partners or subrecipients if the applicant proposes a team-based approach.

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the notice indicating that applicants should consult the additional eligibility text in the full announcement for clarification. In federal funding language, that category often includes non-federal entities such as universities, nonprofit research institutions, professional societies, or other qualified organizations, but the definitive eligibility rules would be in the complete posting. Because the sponsor is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, applicants would generally be expected to demonstrate strong technical capacity in coastal ecology or fisheries science, field and analytical expertise, and the ability to produce applied results that can inform habitat management and restoration decisions.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted, applied research effort aimed at producing defensible scientific insight into how marsh-mangrove transition habitats support wetland-dependent aquatic life. The scale of funding and the single-award structure suggest a fairly focused project with clear deliverables, likely combining field sampling, habitat characterization, and analyses linking habitat conditions to fish and aquatic animal use of these interface areas.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Role of Marsh-Mangrove Interface Habitats as Aquatic Refuges for Wetland Fishes and other Aquatic Animals" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 18, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 17, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $652,380.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for W81EWF 20 SOI 0004

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