Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU | G19AS00107

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the name of this funding opportunity?

The opportunity is the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU), Great Lakes Northern Forests CESU funding opportunity, identified as G19AS00107.

2) Which federal agency is offering this award?

This is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) cooperative agreement.

3) What type of award is this?

It is a cooperative agreement and is described as a discretionary Department of the Interior award.

4) What is the program category for this opportunity?

The opportunity is listed in the Science and Technology/Research and Development category.

5) What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA number provided is 15.808.

6) Who is this opportunity designed for?

The notice indicates it was designed for a CESU partner, with eligibility described under the program's additional eligibility guidance.

7) How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity was structured as a single anticipated award.

8) What is the maximum budget for the award?

The maximum budget listed is $44,000.

9) What is the main purpose of the project funded under this opportunity?

The central purpose is to support research assistance focused on Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) and help address major scientific unknowns surrounding the syndrome.

10) What is Sea star wasting disease (SSWD) in the context of this notice?

The notice describes SSWD as a disease syndrome affecting sea stars (asteroids within Echinodermata). It emphasizes that SSWD is not a single neatly defined illness, but a cluster of outward signs and disease trajectories that can vary.

11) What clinical signs or symptoms of SSWD are highlighted?

The notice lists several outward signs and trajectories, including twisting of the rays (arms), loss of turgor (loss of the firm, inflated appearance typical of healthy animals), limb autotomy (self-amputation), development of lesions, progressive tissue loss, and in severe cases, death.

12) How widespread is SSWD according to the notice?

The notice states that SSWD has been observed in multiple regions worldwide and notes that since 2013 it has been reported in about 20 species along the North American Pacific coast.

13) What level of impact is described for affected populations?

In some locations, the notice reports more than a 95 percent reduction in total biomass of key species.

14) Which sea star species is specifically mentioned as being heavily impacted?

The sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) is specifically mentioned.

15) Why is the sunflower sea star described as important?

The notice indicates it is often treated as ecologically important because of its role in coastal food webs.

16) What key scientific gap is this opportunity trying to address?

A central motivation described is that the cause of SSWD remains unresolved.

17) Does the notice say there is an agreed-upon case definition for SSWD?

No. The notice states there is currently no formal case definition for any affected sea star species, and that this creates a practical barrier to consistent diagnosis, surveillance, and comparison of findings across studies and regions.

18) What types of tissue-level findings have been observed in comparative histology work?

The notice references prior comparative histology work identifying recurring patterns such as vacuolization and necrosis in the outer epidermis and cuticle, along with edema and cleft formation between the outer epidermis and the underlying mutable collagenous tissue.

19) What do the histology findings suggest about the disease process?

The notice suggests these patterns may indicate breakdown or separation of key tissue layers that are critical for sea star integrity and function.

20) Has a single causative microorganism been identified as the explanation for SSWD?

No. The notice describes the microbiological picture as complex and inconclusive, stating that microbiome investigations (including bacterial, archaeal, and viral assessments) have not identified a single consistent microorganism that reliably explains the syndrome across cases.

21) What microbiome change is highlighted as SSWD progresses?

The notice highlights that the subcuticular microbiome appears to shift from communities dominated by aerobic taxa to communities dominated by obligate anaerobes during disease progression.

22) Why is the shift toward obligate anaerobes considered notable?

The notice says this shift suggests changing local conditions at the tissue surface (for example, reduced oxygen availability) as wasting advances, even if it does not yet identify an initiating pathogen.

23) Does the notice discuss environmental factors that may be linked to SSWD?

Yes. The notice flags broader environmental stressors as plausible contributors or amplifiers, specifically mentioning global warming and ocean acidification.

24) How does the notice connect SSWD research to climate-related concerns?

It aligns the project with concerns that climate-driven changes can influence host physiology, microbial community dynamics, and disease susceptibility or severity in marine ecosystems.

25) What overall research emphasis does the opportunity describe?

The notice describes a targeted, modestly funded, single-award cooperative effort intended to strengthen the evidence base around SSWD, with emphasis on improving understanding of disease characteristics, tissue-level pathology, and microbial and environmental associations that may support clearer definitions and more actionable diagnostic or monitoring approaches.