Coastal Ecosystems Climate Resilience
OVERVIEW INFORMATION
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Science Advisor, Policy and Engagement
Office of Research and Development
Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program
COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS CLIMATE RESILIENCE
This is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity.
Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-G2024-STAR-C1
Assistance Listing Number: 66.509
Solicitation Opening Date: March 13, 2024
Solicitation Closing Date: May 1, 2024: 11:59:59 pm Eastern Time
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, aims to promote scientific progress towards the understanding of coastal ecosystem resilience by seeking applications proposing research to 1) characterize, quantify, and define indicators or metrics of resilience for various types of coastal ecosystems, especially those ecosystems that have climate mitigation and adaptation and/or blue (ocean-stored) carbon sequestration potential (Lovelock and Duarte, 2019); and 2) develop methods and approaches to advance economic valuation of resilience benefits provided by coastal ecosystems.
Two major goals in EPA’s FY2022-2026 Strategic Plan are (1) increasing resilience and adaptation to climate change impacts and (2) protecting and restoring waterbodies and watersheds (EPA, 2022a). Coastal waterbodies and the aquatic ecosystems they contain are at the forefront of climate change impacts (EPA, 2021a). However, the cumulative impacts of other stressors such as rising, warmer, and more acidic seas, stronger and more frequent storms, droughts, and potential co-occurring changes to pollutant fluxes on coastal ecosystem resilience are poorly understood.
This funding opportunity solicits research needed to advance our understanding of the properties and processes important to climate resilience in estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems to better inform coastal ecosystem management strategies. Resilient coastal ecosystems and the benefits they provide may persist over time in the face of multiple stressors or disturbances. However, the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors may exceed resilience capacity, alter ecosystem structure and function, or result in loss of coastal ecosystems. Elucidation of the mechanistic basis of resilience in coastal ecosystems and development of quantitative indicators or metrics rooted in the mechanisms of resilience will greatly advance the science of coastal ecosystem management. Effective coastal ecosystem management strategies also require advances in economic valuation approaches to estimate the benefits provided by coastal ecosystems, particularly those benefits related to increasing climate change resilience (e.g., avoided costs from flooding and property damage, avoided costs from disruptions to commercial activities such as tourism or fisheries, or benefits provided when considered together with other public infrastructure).
Coastal Ecosystems Climate Resilience Funding Opportunity (pdf)
Coastal Ecosystems Climate Resilience Webinar Slides (pdf)
Coastal Ecosystems Climate Resilience Webinar Questions and Answers (pdf)