Using Stress and Stable Isotope Signatures to Infer Environmental Conditions Linked to the Unprecedented Die-Off of Common Murres Wintering in National Park Waters. | P19AS00120

Opportunity Information: Apply for P19AS00120

The National Park Service (NPS), within the Department of the Interior, issued a discretionary funding opportunity titled "Using Stress and Stable Isotope Signatures to Infer Environmental Conditions Linked to the Unprecedented Die-Off of Common Murres Wintering in National Park Waters" (Funding Opportunity Number P19AS00120). Structured as a cooperative agreement, the project sits at the intersection of environmental science, education, and data-driven assessment (CFDA 15.945). The core purpose is to use biological evidence from Common Murre carcasses collected during the large seabird die-offs from 2015 through 2018 to pinpoint when starvation occurred and to better understand how important national park waters are as winter habitat for this species.

At a practical level, the work is meant to answer two urgent questions that emerged from the die-off events. First, it aims to determine timing: during what part of the annual cycle did murres experience chronic food limitation severe enough to lead to starvation and mass mortality? Second, it aims to determine geography: where did the birds that washed up in and near national parks likely come from, and what does that say about the scale at which park waters support murres during winter? To tackle those questions, the project proposes using stress indicators and stable isotope signatures in the carcasses. Stress-related measures can help reconstruct physiological condition leading up to death, while stable isotopes can act like natural tracers that reflect diet and foraging environment, which in turn can help infer where birds were feeding and whether they were experiencing prolonged nutritional stress.

The opportunity is framed as a cost-effective, time-sensitive assessment because the die-off created an unusual volume of samples that were already collected along park beaches. Instead of requiring a long, expensive field campaign to capture and track live birds over multiple seasons, the NPS can leverage existing carcass collections to conduct an initial, defensible evaluation of overwintering habitat use within and near coastal park boundaries. This is especially relevant because, as described in the notice, managers do not currently know when and where murres faced chronic food limitations across their annual cycle. By analyzing the 2015-2018 carcasses, the project seeks to narrow down the window of starvation (for example, whether it was primarily during wintering, migration, or another period) and connect those findings to environmental conditions and foraging constraints.

From a management and public communication standpoint, the results are intended to help NPS respond more quickly and credibly to partner agencies and community concerns when die-offs occur. The notice specifically highlights the importance of timely information in places where subsistence harvesting of seabird eggs occurs, since die-offs can trigger questions about population health, sustainability, and whether harvesting practices need adjustment. In addition, identifying the regional origin of the dead birds would clarify which breeding populations were most affected and how far-reaching the connection is between national park waters and murre populations. That kind of information can guide interagency coordination, focus monitoring efforts, and improve how coastal parks explain the ecological role of their waters during winter.

Administratively, the grant was created on April 23, 2019, with an original closing date of May 1, 2019. The award ceiling was listed as $122,391, with one expected award. While eligible applicants are described as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, the announcement is explicitly a notice of intent to award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and it states that applications will not be accepted from any other entity.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, environment, information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Using Stress and Stable Isotope Signatures to Infer Environmental Conditions Linked to the Unprecedented Die-Off of Common Murres Wintering in National Park Waters." and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 23, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 01, 2019 This is a notice of intent to award to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Applications will not be accepted from any other entity.. (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 $122,391.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for P19AS00120

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