Assessment of oyster reefs in the Piankatank River, VA | W81EWF 24 SOI 0016

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 24 SOI 0016

This grant opportunity focuses on monitoring and evaluating two recently built oyster sanctuary reefs in the Piankatank River on Virginia's Middle Peninsula, a Chesapeake Bay tributary located between the Rappahannock and York Rivers. The Piankatank is considered a distinctive system within the Bay watershed because it is fed by Dragon Run, one of Virginia's largest swamps, and much of the surrounding landscape is forested or agricultural. For decades, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) has managed the river as an oyster seed replenishment area with a long-standing mix of seed and sanctuary reef zones. The work described in this opportunity ties directly to the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which named the Piankatank as one of five priority Virginia tributaries for oyster restoration, with a long-term restoration target of 241 acres by 2025. Restoration partners reached that broader acreage goal in 2021, and the projects covered here are part of the continued effort to build and verify functioning reef habitat.

The specific projects to be assessed were constructed under the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Program by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Norfolk District) in partnership with VMRC. Phase 1 is a 25-acre subtidal granite reef installed in 2017. Phase 2 is a larger, 53-acre subtidal granite reef installed in 2023. The core purpose of the funding is to generate standardized, defensible monitoring data that document how these reefs are performing over time and whether they meet Chesapeake Bay Program expectations for an oyster sanctuary reef. Those expectations come from the Chesapeake Bay Program's Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team (GIT) metrics, which set quantitative targets for restoration success.

Monitoring is expected to measure reef condition using the GIT "Oyster Metrics" style criteria. In practical terms, the assessments need to quantify oyster density (oysters per square meter), oyster biomass expressed as dry tissue weight (grams dry weight per square meter), and evidence of multiple year classes, with a minimum expectation of at least two year classes present. The opportunity also calls for a physical characterization of the reef and oyster population, including shell accretion (how much shell material is accumulating and building structure), and size-frequency distribution (the spread of oyster sizes, which helps indicate recruitment, growth, and survival patterns). In addition to oysters, the funder would like information on other attached organisms on the reef (often referred to as fouling or associated fauna), including their density and biomass, because these communities are part of the broader habitat function and can help describe how the reef is supporting a more complete ecological assemblage.

The schedule is structured around specific monitoring years for each phase, reflecting how reef performance is expected to change as it matures. For Phase 1 (built in 2017), the planned work includes Year 7 monitoring in 2024, capturing longer-term performance after the reef has had time to develop. For Phase 2 (built in 2023), the plan includes multiple check-ins over time: Year 1 monitoring in 2024, then additional monitoring in Years 3 and 6 (2026 and 2029). That design suggests the funder is looking for both early establishment indicators and longer-term trajectory data, so the resulting dataset can support adaptive management, meaning decisions about whether designs, construction approaches, or maintenance strategies need to be adjusted in future oyster restoration projects across the Chesapeake Bay.

Administratively, this is a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the government expects to be substantially involved in the project during performance (for example, coordinating methods, reviewing plans, or aligning outputs with program needs). The sponsoring agency listed is the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), with the work connected to USACE restoration efforts. The opportunity number is W81EWF 24 SOI 0016, and it falls under CFDA 12.630 (science and technology and other research and development). The application closing date provided is March 29, 2024. The expected award is one project with a ceiling of $150,000.

Eligibility is limited: applicants must be non-federal partners within the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU). That restriction typically means universities, research institutions, or other qualified organizations that are formal CESU partners, rather than any general applicant pool. The announcement also highlights compliance requirements around disclosures of current and pending support; incomplete or problematic disclosures can make an applicant ineligible, and the agency may request updated information before award and throughout the project period, with the possibility of funding being discontinued if issues arise. Finally, the notice states that religious organizations may compete on the same basis as secular organizations for federal financial assistance, consistent with Executive Order 13798.

• The Engineer Research and Development Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Assessment of oyster reefs in the Piankatank River, VA" 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 2024-01-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-03-29. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for W81EWF 24 SOI 0016

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