Ecological Parameters in the Forested Wetlands of Southern Florida

The Ecological Parameters in the Forested Wetlands of Southern Florida funding opportunity is offered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through the Fort Worth District under Request for Statement of Interest W9126G262SOI9383. The opportunity is administered through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units program and is limited to organizations that are members of the Gulf Coast, Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast, or South Florida-Caribbean CESU Regions. The project supports ecological monitoring and restoration efforts associated with the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, which was authorized under the Water Resources Development Act of 2000. The project is intended to support adaptive assessment and monitoring activities that evaluate restoration outcomes in the Everglades ecosystem, specifically within southern Biscayne Bay and Florida Bay mangrove wetlands. The project also contributes to long-term ecological datasets used by the RECOVER program, a multidisciplinary partnership responsible for implementation of the CERP Monitoring and Assessment Plan. The purpose of the cooperative agreement is to monitor prey fish communities and submerged aquatic vegetation in transitional freshwater marshes and mangrove forested wetlands throughout southern Florida. The selected recipient will assess how fish abundance, diversity, biomass, and vegetation coverage respond to hydrologic variables such as salinity, freshwater flow, and water depth. The work is intended to provide insight into ecosystem restoration impacts and to support monitoring of ecological indicators tied to wading birds, estuarine habitats, and invasive species. The project requires methodologies that are statistically comparable to prior monitoring efforts so that annual data can be integrated into existing long-term datasets. Data generated from the project will support RECOVER System Status Reports and broader Everglades restoration assessments used by public stakeholders and environmental managers. Approximately 575000 dollars is expected to be available for the base period, including mandatory tasks and optional Task 5 activities. Additional funding may become available for optional tasks and follow-on work in future years. The agreement includes a 12-month base period and anticipates four additional 12-month follow-on periods subject to the availability of funds. The established CESU indirect cost rate of 17.5 percent applies to the agreement. The solicitation describes mandatory tasks including project initiation and planning, prey fish and submerged aquatic vegetation monitoring, data analyses and reporting, and participation in RECOVER meetings and workshops. Optional tasks include statistical review of monitoring plans, assistance with System Status Reports, wading bird indicator reviews, and expansion of monitoring activities into additional estuarine regions. Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are active members of the specified CESU regions. The solicitation emphasizes that applicants should possess significant expertise in Everglades ecology, prey fish and submerged aquatic vegetation sampling, and hydrologic analysis. Principal investigators are expected to hold a PhD in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, or a related field. Applicants should demonstrate experience conducting field sampling across large spatial scales and remote locations, as well as expertise in analyzing fish community structure and habitat relationships. Organizations must also maintain an active NIST SP 800-171 Department of Defense assessment completed within the previous three years in order to be eligible for award consideration. The project will involve coordination with federal and state agencies, including permitting requirements associated with work on Department of Interior lands and waters in Florida. At this stage, the agency is requesting Statements of Interest rather than full proposals or detailed budgets. Interested applicants must submit a Statement of Interest no longer than three pages in length. Required submission components include organizational identification information, technical qualifications, biographical sketches of key personnel, descriptions of relevant projects and capabilities, and a summary of how the proposed work supports U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Defense missions. The review process evaluates technical merit, organizational capability, qualifications, resources, and alignment with agency objectives. Statements receiving Good or Excellent ratings may later be invited to submit full proposals for further evaluation. Evaluation ratings are categorized as Good/Excellent, Acceptable, or Unacceptable based on technical understanding, qualifications, strengths, weaknesses, and the likelihood of successful performance. Statements of Interest are due by noon Central Time on June 5, 2026. Questions regarding the opportunity must be submitted no later than May 13, 2026. The solicitation notes that Requests for Statements of Interest are required to remain posted on Grants.gov for at least 30 days before full proposals may be requested. Quarterly progress reports, annual reports, final project reports, and supporting datasets will be required throughout the period of performance. Reporting deliverables include statistical analyses, annual ecological assessments, and quality-assured raw data files. Additional responsibilities include participation in RECOVER regional meetings and technical coordination activities. Key contacts for the opportunity include Yvonne Howard, Grants Specialist, and Nicole Baker, Project Manager, both with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District. The opportunity reflects a recurring multi-year federal ecological monitoring initiative tied to ongoing Everglades restoration and adaptive management activities.

Applicants should emphasize direct Everglades ecology expertise prior prey fish and submerged aquatic vegetation monitoring experience statistical analysis capability and demonstrated understanding of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan objectives. Strong alignment with USACE mission objectives and evidence of successful large-scale remote field sampling experience will strengthen competitiveness.