Deadline: 04-Oct-21
The Department of the Interior and Fish and Wildlife Service is offering 2022 Sea Duck Joint Venture (SDJV) Competitive Grants to promote the conservation of North American sea ducks by providing greater scientific knowledge and understanding of sea duck biology and ecology to support effective management.
The SDJV is composed of Federal and state/provincial wildlife agencies in Canada and the U.S., as well as non-governmental organizations and other entities committed to sea duck conservation. SDJV projects are accomplished through efficient public/private partnerships and cooperative funding.
Focus Areas
The SDJV has evolved from a broad science program aimed at basic understanding of this leastknown group of waterfowl species, to a program focused on specific elements most needed by managers to make informed decisions about sea duck conservation. The SDJV is currently updating its strategic plan, which will focus on the following broad topics:
- Species of management concern: SDJV considers the following species high priority because of historical or current declines, and concerns about harvest potential or habitat limitations: American Common Eider, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Black Scoter, Longtailed Duck, Harlequin Duck, and Barrow’s Goldeneye.
- Population assessment: Improve methods that assess and monitor the status and trends of sea duck populations, and estimate population parameters to support development of models for management applications.
- Harvest management: Improve assessment of fall/winter general hunting and spring/summer subsistence hunting to ensure that effective harvest strategies and regulatory frameworks are in place for sea duck populations.
- Marine and terrestrial landscape conservation: Objectives in this focal area include:
- finalize and disseminate the Sea Duck Key Sites Habitat Atlas;
- assess the impact of potential stressors in key habitats from anthropogenic sources such as oil and gas development, wind energy development, aquaculture, and increased Arctic shipping; and,
- develop methods to minimize such impacts to sea ducks.
- Assess potential future stressors: Address data gaps regarding new and emerging issues, such as climate change and the recovery of predator populations, and how they may affect sea duck distribution and habitat use.
- Human dimensions: Improve sea duck management by increasing integration of biological and social objectives, including the values of Indigenous communities, the public, hunters, birdwatchers, the conservation community, and industry.
Priorities
- Information on migratory connectivity and habitat use of sea ducks to improve survey design, harvest management, and development of conservation actions. New studies could target geographic gaps from previous satellite telemetry studies or analyze existing datasets.
- Improve the quality of data and information from aerial surveys by exploring alternative protocols, improved analytical methods, or new technology with a focus on identifying sea ducks to species and reducing observation biases.
- Studies focused on estimating rates of fecundity (e.g., estimating breeding propensity, nesting phenology, clutch size, nest success, and/or fledging success on the breeding areas, or determining fall or winter age and sex ratios to provide an index of annual productivity) and survival (all life stages, and including harvest) of priority sea duck species.
- Identify and characterize ecological attributes of habitat used by priority sea duck species to determine critical dependencies and vulnerabilities to anthropogenic effects and climate change.
- Improve harvest estimates of North American sea ducks for fall/winter general hunting and spring/summer subsistence hunting to ensure that effective harvest strategies and regulatory frameworks are in place.
- Assess the effect of changing predator communities (e.g., bald eagle, polar bear, mink, fox) on sea duck foraging behavior, breeding success, diurnal and long-term distribution patterns, and the effects of potential distribution shifts on the interpretation of survey data from long-term monitoring studies.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Funding: $ 350,000
- Maximum Award: $ 200,000
- Minimum Award: $ 5,000
- Expected Award Date: January 15, 2022
- Expected Number of Awards: 5
Eligibility Criteria
- No restrictions; all potential applicants are eligible including government agencies, educational institutions, Native American tribal organizations, other non-profit organizations and commercial entities.
- U.S. non-profit, non-governmental organizations must provide a copy of their Section 501(c)(3) or (4) status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=335109
