Environmental Life History and Genetic Structure of River Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus spp.) in the Lower Mississippi River | W81EWF 21 SOI 0007

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 21 SOI 0007

The Department of Defense, through the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), offered a cooperative agreement to study the environmental life history and genetic structure of two closely related "river sturgeon" species in the Lower Mississippi River (LMR): the endangered Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) and the Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), which is listed as threatened where it occurs alongside pallid sturgeon under the Similarity-of-Appearance provision of the Endangered Species Act. The core idea behind the opportunity is that effective conservation and habitat management for these species requires a clearer, range-aware picture of how they use the river across life stages, including where they spawn, how larvae disperse, and how juveniles and adults move among river reaches. By focusing on the LMR, the project aims to fill an important gap in understanding how these sturgeon populations function as part of larger meta-populations across the Mississippi River basin.

The main objective is to leverage a substantial set of archived biological materials already collected by ERDC during prior and ongoing monitoring work. Rather than building a new sampling program from scratch, the project emphasizes extracting new information from existing fin clips, pectoral rays, and preserved larval specimens. This archived collection is large enough to support two complementary lines of investigation: (1) reconstructing environmental life history using elemental microchemistry and stable isotope approaches, and (2) evaluating genetic population structure and meta-population dynamics using molecular markers. Together, these tools are intended to reveal both where fish have been (environmental signatures over time) and how populations are connected or differentiated (genetic structure), which are both critical for designing management actions that actually match how the species uses the river.

For the environmental life history component, the opportunity centers on trace element and/or stable isotope analysis, approaches that can detect chemical "signatures" associated with different water masses or river reaches. The concept is to build and use a water-chemistry reference library (a spatial gradient of chemical signatures, such as strontium-to-calcium ratios) and then compare fish tissue profiles against that library to infer origin and movement histories. Prior work has shown this can be done by analyzing structures that record chemistry over time, including fin rays. ERDC indicated it had nearly 250 unique records representing about 500 larval whole-body specimens and roughly 280 juvenile/adult pectoral ray samples available for isotope-related analyses. The applicant would also have access to an existing round of LMR water samples collected in 2014 for incorporation into the chemistry library, and ERDC planned to collect another set of water chemistry samples to help capture inter-year variability, which matters because river chemistry can shift over time and those shifts affect how confidently fish can be assigned to particular origins or reaches.

For the genetic component, the opportunity calls for a population-structure assessment using established conservation genetics methods suitable for sturgeon. ERDC highlighted approaches consistent with previous sturgeon studies that combine microsatellite genotyping at selected loci with analytical tools such as the STRUCTURE software package to assess genomic variability within and among defined sampling units. The goal is not simply to generate genetic data, but to interpret it in ways that inform conservation: identifying population structuring within the LMR, assessing connectivity, and placing LMR patterns into the broader context of published studies across both species ranges. ERDC reported having approximately 500 tissue samples available for this work, largely from the LMR, including fin clips from about 400 adult sturgeon and preserved larval samples (about 100).

The anticipated work is organized around a few clear tasks. One task is to construct environmental life history attributes for larval, juvenile, and adult sturgeon, using isotope or elemental profiles matched against the LMR water chemistry signature library to infer origin and environmental history. Another task is to compare the resulting life history patterns from the LMR with comparable information from the Middle Mississippi and Missouri rivers, helping distinguish what is unique to the LMR versus what appears consistent across the system. A parallel task is to evaluate meta-population dynamics and genetic structure of both Pallid and Shovelnose sturgeon in the LMR using genetic markers, and then compare those outcomes with range-wide findings so the results are immediately useful for broader recovery and management planning rather than remaining a stand-alone local study.

The expected deliverables are written products that (1) provide a comparative assessment of environmental life history patterns for both species in the LMR and relate those patterns to published range-wide information, (2) produce genetic identification for all samples included in the molecular analysis (important given regulatory and identification challenges where the two species co-occur), and (3) describe the genetic population structure of Pallid and Shovelnose sturgeon within the LMR. On the management and compliance side, the recipient would need to prepare a formal Statement of Work and Work Plan, follow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-recommended standards for data acquisition and laboratory quality control, and provide ongoing reporting tied to invoicing (monthly or quarterly), plus one annual report per year of the cooperative agreement summarizing progress on data collection and analysis.

The opportunity was offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement (Funding Opportunity Number W81EWF 21 SOI 0007; CFDA 12.630) with an anticipated single award, an award ceiling of $50,000, and an original closing date of February 10, 2021 (posted December 21, 2020). ERDC signaled that successful applicants should bring practical familiarity with sturgeon life history and conservation issues, along with demonstrated experience in elemental microchemistry and genetic analysis workflows, since the project relies on specialized lab methods and careful interpretation.

The public benefit rationale is tightly connected to species recovery. By clarifying where and how these sturgeon use the Lower Mississippi River at different life stages, and by identifying how genetically connected or separated groups may be, the project is meant to support better habitat protection, restoration, and management decisions. In the long run, the intended outcome is that integrating these findings into conservation planning will help maintain and improve the critical habitat features needed for Pallid Sturgeon recovery and contribute to increased population levels across the species range.

• The Department of Defense, Engineer Research and Development Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Environmental Life History and Genetic Structure of River Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus spp.) in the Lower Mississippi River" 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 Dec 21, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 10, 2021. (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 $50,000.00 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 21 SOI 0007

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