Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00358
This funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service focuses on a practical management problem in the lower Columbia River in Canada: managers need solid, field-tested information on when hatchery-origin White Sturgeon actually become sexually mature and whether, when, and how often they participate in natural spawning alongside the wild population. The project is built around the idea that stocking and recovery actions only make sense if agencies can reliably track reproductive readiness and understand how hatchery fish integrate into the breeding population over time.
The core scientific goal is to determine the sex and stage of maturity of both hatchery-origin and wild White Sturgeon using several assessment methods, then use those results to estimate key reproductive metrics. For hatchery-origin fish, the study aims to estimate age at first maturity and, where possible, spawning periodicity (how often mature individuals spawn). For wild fish, the project similarly targets sex, maturity stage, and spawning periodicity, but it also emphasizes building stronger reproductive indices by combining newly collected biological samples with an existing long-term dataset created from repeated captures of adult sturgeon over roughly the past decade in the study area. That long-term component is meant to improve confidence in trends and patterns that cannot be captured in a short sampling window.
A major piece of the work is method validation and accuracy testing. The project explicitly compares multiple tools used in the field to assign sex and maturity stage, including ultrasound imaging, endoscopic techniques (otoscope and endoscope), and blood-based measurement of plasma sex steroids. Because these techniques can vary in reliability depending on fish size, season, operator skill, and reproductive condition, the study uses histological analysis of gonadal tissue (microscopic examination) from biopsies as the validation benchmark for "true" sex and maturity stage. Two sub-objectives support that benchmark: first, testing whether maturity stage is consistent across different parts of the gonad (tissue homogeneity) in both males and females of hatchery origin, and second, measuring how accurate gonadal biopsy is at assessing maturity stage for hatchery-origin fish. Together, these steps are meant to quantify error rates and reduce uncertainty in the non-lethal or minimally invasive approaches managers prefer to use at scale.
Beyond identifying maturity status, the project aims to compare hatchery-origin fish directly to the wild breeding population using several reproductive indices. These comparisons include sex ratio, estimated age at first maturity, and spawning periodicity, which are the kinds of population-level parameters that influence forecasts of recruitment, effective population size, and long-term recovery potential. The project also looks at how age, body size, and habitat conditions relate to growth and reproduction for hatchery-origin sturgeon, recognizing that maturation timing and reproductive output can be shaped by environmental factors and access to suitable habitat.
Administratively, this was a discretionary, single-source cooperative agreement (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00358) under CFDA 15.650, categorized under information and statistics and natural resources. The agency anticipated one award with an estimated ceiling of $120,000. The posting indicates it was issued in early August 2017 (creation date Aug 02, 2017) with an original closing date of Aug 07, 2017, and it notes the single-source approach was justified under a Department of the Interior policy provision for unique qualifications. Overall, the opportunity supports applied research designed to give fisheries managers defensible, validated tools and population metrics to guide decisions about hatchery supplementation and conservation of White Sturgeon in the lower Columbia River.Apply for F17AS00358
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the information and statistics, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "White Sturgeon Sex and Stage of Maturity in Lower Columbia River, Canada" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.650.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 02, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 07, 2017 This Single Source Award is being awarded in accordance with Department of the Interior Policy 505 DM 2.14 B (4) Unique Qualifications.. (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 $120,000.00 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).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity supports applied, field-focused research to help fisheries managers answer a practical management question in the lower Columbia River (Canada): when hatchery-origin White Sturgeon become sexually mature and whether, when, and how often they participate in natural spawning alongside the wild population. The intent is to produce defensible, validated information that improves decisions about hatchery supplementation and recovery actions.
2. Which agency is offering this funding?
The funding opportunity is from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
3. What species and location does the project focus on?
The project focuses on White Sturgeon in the lower Columbia River in Canada, including both hatchery-origin and wild fish in the study area.
4. What management problem is the project trying to solve?
Managers need reliable, field-tested ways to determine reproductive readiness (sex and maturity stage) and to understand how hatchery-origin fish integrate into the natural breeding population over time, including whether and how often hatchery fish participate in natural spawning.
5. What are the core scientific objectives?
The core goal is to determine sex and stage of maturity for both hatchery-origin and wild White Sturgeon using multiple assessment methods, then use those determinations to estimate key reproductive metrics. For hatchery-origin fish, this includes estimating age at first maturity and, where possible, spawning periodicity. For wild fish, it includes sex, maturity stage, spawning periodicity, and strengthening reproductive indices by integrating new samples with an existing long-term dataset.
6. What reproductive metrics will be estimated for hatchery-origin White Sturgeon?
The project aims to estimate age at first maturity and, where possible, spawning periodicity (how often mature individuals spawn) for hatchery-origin fish.
7. What reproductive metrics will be estimated for wild White Sturgeon?
For wild fish, the study targets sex, maturity stage, and spawning periodicity. It also emphasizes building stronger reproductive indices by combining newly collected biological samples with a long-term dataset based on repeated adult captures over roughly the past decade in the study area.
8. Why is a long-term dataset mentioned, and how is it used?
The long-term dataset (from repeated captures of adult sturgeon over about the past decade) is used to improve confidence in trends and patterns that cannot be captured in a short sampling window. New biological samples collected during this project are intended to be combined with that existing dataset to strengthen reproductive indices for the wild population.
9. What field methods are being compared to determine sex and maturity stage?
The project explicitly compares several tools used in the field to assign sex and maturity stage, including ultrasound imaging, endoscopic techniques (otoscope and endoscope), and blood-based measurement of plasma sex steroids.
10. What is the validation benchmark for determining the "true" sex and maturity stage?
Histological analysis of gonadal tissue (microscopic examination) from biopsies is used as the validation benchmark for "true" sex and maturity stage. This benchmark is used to quantify error rates and uncertainty in non-lethal or minimally invasive field methods.
11. Why does the opportunity emphasize method validation and accuracy testing?
The methods used to assign sex and maturity stage can vary in reliability depending on fish size, season, operator skill, and reproductive condition. By validating field methods against histology results, the project is designed to quantify accuracy and error rates and to reduce uncertainty in approaches managers prefer to use at scale.
12. What specific sub-objectives support the histology benchmark?
Two sub-objectives are described: (1) testing whether maturity stage is consistent across different parts of the gonad (tissue homogeneity) in both male and female hatchery-origin fish, and (2) measuring how accurate gonadal biopsy is at assessing maturity stage for hatchery-origin fish.
13. What population-level reproductive indices will be used to compare hatchery-origin and wild fish?
The project aims to compare hatchery-origin fish to the wild breeding population using indices such as sex ratio, estimated age at first maturity, and spawning periodicity. These parameters influence forecasts of recruitment, effective population size, and long-term recovery potential.
14. Does the project consider relationships between environment, growth, and reproduction?
Yes. The project looks at how age, body size, and habitat conditions relate to growth and reproduction for hatchery-origin sturgeon, recognizing that maturation timing and reproductive output can be shaped by environmental factors and access to suitable habitat.
15. What type of award mechanism is described?
The opportunity is described as a discretionary, single-source cooperative agreement.
16. What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F17AS00358.
17. What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.650.
18. How is this opportunity categorized?
It is categorized under information and statistics and natural resources.
19. How many awards were anticipated and what was the estimated funding ceiling?
The agency anticipated one award with an estimated ceiling of $120,000.
20. When was the opportunity posted and what were the original closing details?
The posting indicates a creation date of Aug 02, 2017, with an original closing date of Aug 07, 2017.
21. Why was this a single-source opportunity?
The single-source approach was justified under a Department of the Interior policy provision for unique qualifications.
22. What is the intended management value of the project results?
The opportunity supports applied research designed to provide fisheries managers with validated tools and defensible population metrics to guide hatchery supplementation decisions and conservation planning for White Sturgeon in the lower Columbia River.
23. Which fish groups are included in sampling and analysis?
The work includes both hatchery-origin White Sturgeon and wild White Sturgeon, with emphasis on understanding reproductive status and spawning participation relative to the wild breeding population.
24. What kinds of uncertainty is the project trying to reduce?
The project aims to reduce uncertainty around sex and maturity determinations made in the field by quantifying error rates of common tools (ultrasound, endoscopic methods, plasma sex steroids) and anchoring those tools to histology-validated results from gonadal tissue biopsies.
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