Wading Bird Colony Location, Size, Timing, and Reproductive Success in Lake Okeechobee | W81EWF 24 SOI 0020

Funding Opportunity FAQs: Monitoring Breeding Wading Birds in the Lake Okeechobee Basin (CERP MAP)

1) What is this funding opportunity trying to accomplish?

This opportunity supports continued monitoring of breeding wading birds in the Lake Okeechobee basin as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The goal is to maintain consistent, long-term data that can be used to evaluate whether restoration-driven changes to water conditions are improving ecosystem outcomes over time.

2) Which larger restoration program does this project support?

The work supports CERP, which was authorized under the Water Resources Development Act of 2000. CERP focuses on restoring south Florida ecosystems by changing infrastructure and water operations within the Central and Southern Florida Project.

3) How does this work fit into the CERP Monitoring and Assessment Plan (MAP)?

This project contributes to the CERP Monitoring and Assessment Plan (MAP), which is designed to track ecosystem responses over time, measure progress toward restoration goals, and support adaptive management (adjusting management actions based on monitoring results).

4) Who leads the monitoring framework described in the announcement?

The RECOVER program (a multiagency science team) leads the monitoring framework. The project outputs are intended to be usable within RECOVER systemwide assessments.

5) Why are wading birds an important focus for monitoring?

Wading birds are described as one of the most important indicator groups because their breeding activity reflects broad wetland conditions. Their responses are tied to hydrology, food availability (fish and invertebrates), and habitat quality, making them a meaningful signal of ecosystem status and change.

6) Why is long-term monitoring considered necessary for this effort?

The core need is consistent, long-term data on where birds nest, when they nest, how many are nesting, and how successful nests are. This continuity helps managers test restoration hypotheses and determine whether observed changes are linked to restoration-driven hydrologic changes.

7) What kinds of restoration hypotheses are linked to wading bird monitoring in this opportunity?

The opportunity references hypotheses such as improved water conditions increasing prey production and concentrating prey in ways that improve foraging efficiency, which would then be expected to increase nesting effort and reproductive output.

8) Why is Lake Okeechobee specifically important in the broader south Florida monitoring picture?

The announcement describes south Florida as having multiple distinct areas (or "patches") of breeding activity. Monitoring in the Lake Okeechobee basin helps separate local effects from broader, systemwide restoration outcomes.

9) What is the main dataset or outcome the project is meant to produce or maintain?

The project is designed to continue and strengthen a long-term dataset that tracks annual breeding numbers and reproductive success for wading bird colonies in the Lake Okeechobee basin.

10) What are the required core objectives of the project?

The required work centers on three objectives: (1) an annual summary with monthly time detail describing colony size, colony locations, and species composition across the basin; (2) an annual quantitative summary of nest success and nest productivity for the wading bird community; and (3) standardizing monitoring methods and integrating results across all south Florida wading bird monitoring so Lake Okeechobee results are directly comparable and usable in systemwide assessments.

11) What does the annual colony summary need to include?

The annual summary must include monthly time detail and describe colony size, colony locations, and species composition for nesting wading birds across the Lake Okeechobee basin.

12) What does the opportunity mean by "monthly time detail"?

Based on the announcement language, the annual summary is expected to present information with month-by-month resolution (not just a single annual total), covering items like colony size, locations, and species composition through the breeding season.

13) What is required for nest success and nest productivity reporting?

The recipient must provide an annual quantitative summary of nest success and nest productivity for the wading bird community. The announcement notes this typically includes metrics describing how many nests succeed and how many young are produced per nesting attempt or per successful nest.

14) Does the opportunity specify exact nest success metrics to be used?

It does not list specific formulas, but it indicates typical metrics such as the proportion of nests that succeed and productivity measures like young produced per nesting attempt or per successful nest.

15) What does "standardizing monitoring methods" mean in the context of this opportunity?

The project emphasizes using standardized monitoring approaches and integrating results across south Florida wading bird monitoring efforts so Lake Okeechobee data can be directly compared with other areas and incorporated into systemwide RECOVER assessments.

16) Are there optional tasks applicants can propose?

Yes. The announcement includes two optional task areas that applicants may propose with separate scope and budget.

17) What is the first optional task area?

The first optional task involves using approved (blue-listed) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to develop and evaluate alternative ways to monitor breeding activity, potentially improving coverage, consistency, or efficiency compared with traditional survey methods.

18) What does "blue-listed" UAVs refer to in this announcement?

The announcement specifies that UAVs must be approved and "blue-listed." It does not define the term further, but it indicates the UAV platforms used must meet an approved listing requirement.

19) What is the second optional task area?

The second optional task is development of a predictive model for Lake Okeechobee wading bird breeding. The model is intended for use as a RECOVER performance measure to help translate monitoring data into decision-relevant, forward-looking tools for restoration evaluation and planning.

20) Are the optional tasks required?

No. They are described as optional and can be proposed separately with their own scope and budget.

21) What is the intended public benefit of this work?

The public benefit case emphasizes wading birds as a visible and scientifically meaningful signal of ecosystem health. By documenting breeding timing, colony formation and size, nesting characteristics, nest success, and species interactions, the project builds knowledge about population dynamics and responses to ecological conditions and restoration actions.

22) What broader outcomes does the announcement associate with healthier ecosystems?

The opportunity links healthier ecosystems to improved habitat management outcomes, better outdoor recreation opportunities, and economic benefits tied to a thriving South Florida environment.

23) What federal agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

24) What kind of award instrument is expected?

This is described as a discretionary research opportunity offered through a cooperative agreement.

25) How many awards are expected?

The announcement indicates one expected award.

26) What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?

The award ceiling is $124,000.

27) What is the opportunity number (identifier)?

The opportunity identifier provided is W81EWF 24 SOI 0020.

28) When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

It was posted on 2024-04-11 and originally closed on 2024-06-04.

29) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is restricted to non-federal partners of the South Florida and Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU). This means the applicant pool is limited to organizations that qualify under that CESU partnership framework.

30) Is this opportunity open to federal agencies as applicants?

No. The eligibility statement specifies non-federal partners of the South Florida and Caribbean CESU.

31) What geographic area does the monitoring focus on?

The monitoring focus is the Lake Okeechobee basin, with reporting covering nesting wading birds across the basin.

32) What types of information about colonies does the opportunity expect to be tracked?

The required reporting includes colony locations, colony size, species composition, and time detail through the season (monthly). The announcement also highlights the value of documenting breeding timing, nesting characteristics, nest success, and species interactions as part of the broader monitoring rationale.

33) How will results be used beyond Lake Okeechobee?

The opportunity emphasizes integration across all south Florida wading bird monitoring efforts so Lake Okeechobee data can be compared directly with other regions and rolled up into systemwide assessments used by RECOVER.

34) What is the main management approach supported by this monitoring (as described in the announcement)?

The monitoring is intended to support adaptive management by providing evidence of ecosystem responses over time and helping managers adjust restoration actions based on what the monitoring shows.