Opportunity Information: Apply for M22AS00327
MM-22-03, titled "Fish Fry: Frying Pan Shoals Ecosystem Dynamics" (Funding Opportunity Number M22AS00327), is a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) cooperative agreement opportunity focused on improving the science needed to manage offshore sand resources responsibly while protecting important fish habitat. BOEM oversees Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) resources in federal waters, generally beginning 3 nautical miles offshore for most states (and 9 nautical miles offshore for Texas and the Gulf coast of Florida). Through BOEM's Marine Minerals Program (MMP), the agency can authorize the use of offshore sand, gravel, and shell for projects like beach nourishment and wetlands restoration. Because coastal erosion and development pressures are increasing the demand for beach-compatible sand, BOEM anticipates more interest in offshore "borrow areas" where sand could be dredged, and that raises the stakes for understanding ecological impacts and resolving competing uses of the seafloor.
The core problem this opportunity addresses is that many potential sand sources overlap with habitats that are ecologically and economically important for federally managed fish species. Much of the federal OCS qualifies as Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), a designation managed by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for species with commercial and recreational value. In addition, Frying Pan Shoals (FPS) has been designated as a Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) and NMFS for multiple species, signaling heightened sensitivity or importance. Before any dredging can occur, BOEM must consult with NMFS regarding potential impacts to EFH and HAPC. This grant opportunity is therefore aimed at producing baseline, decision-relevant ecological information that BOEM can use during planning, consultation, and mitigation design for offshore sand extraction in and around Frying Pan Shoals.
The geographic and community context is the Cape Fear Region of North Carolina, where rapid population growth, tourism-driven economic expansion, and rising land values have intensified the need to protect beaches and shorelines from erosion. Traditional sand supplies, including material obtained from navigation dredging, are not keeping up with demand in either volume or timing. As a result, offshore sand resources are increasingly viewed as necessary for long-term nourishment strategies. BOEM is signaling that future management decisions will require stronger evidence about how shoal habitats function and how fish and benthic communities use them, especially if sand extraction is proposed in areas that may also serve as key feeding, nursery, or spawning habitat.
Scientifically, the opportunity emphasizes understanding ecosystem dynamics and services associated with shoal complexes, including concepts like bioenergetics and trophic transfer (how energy moves through the food web). It notes that similar shoal systems, such as Canaveral Shoals in Florida, have been studied extensively in a subtropical setting, including the relationship between shoal habitats, benthic communities, fish assemblages, and broader trophic structure. By contrast, even though shoal habitat is relatively common along the inner shelf of the Mid- and South-Atlantic Bight, there is still limited knowledge about how federally managed fish species use these Atlantic shoals under baseline conditions. BOEM is seeking work that can close that gap and provide a clearer picture of habitat quality, habitat function, and the ecological role these shoals play over multiple time scales.
A notable feature of the scope is its emphasis on variability and disturbance. The opportunity highlights the need to understand how habitat contributions and ecosystem services change across storm events, post-disturbance recovery periods, seasonal shifts, and inter-annual changes. In practical terms, BOEM is looking for science that can inform not just what is present at one moment, but how the system behaves through time and how resilient it is when disrupted. This kind of information is directly relevant to identifying conservation measures and mitigation options that could reduce impacts from dredging, timing restrictions, spatial avoidance, monitoring requirements, or restoration actions.
From an administrative standpoint, the program is categorized as discretionary funding with a cooperative agreement instrument, meaning BOEM likely expects substantial coordination during project design, implementation, and reporting rather than a hands-off grant. The activity area is environmental (CFDA 15.423), and the listed award ceiling is $2,000,000. The original closing date provided is 2022-07-18, and the opportunity was created on 2022-05-17. Eligibility is targeted to Coastal State Governments and public, state-controlled institutions of higher education participating in the Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network, reflecting BOEM's intent to work through established regional research partnerships.
Overall, MM-22-03 is best understood as a targeted applied research effort to support offshore sand management decisions at Frying Pan Shoals by documenting and interpreting how fish and associated communities use shoal habitats that may be affected by future sand borrowing. The end goal is to equip BOEM and its consultation partners (particularly NMFS and regional fishery managers) with credible baseline data and ecological understanding to balance shoreline protection needs with sustained fish habitat function in federal waters.Apply for M22AS00327
- The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "MM-22-03: Fish Fry: Frying Pan Shoals Ecosystem Dynamics" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.423.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-05-17.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-07-18. (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 $2,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is MM-22-03 "Fish Fry: Frying Pan Shoals Ecosystem Dynamics"?
MM-22-03 is a Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) cooperative agreement funding opportunity focused on improving the science needed to manage offshore sand resources responsibly while protecting important fish habitat. The project focus is Frying Pan Shoals (FPS) and the ecological dynamics that support fish and benthic communities in areas that may overlap with potential offshore sand "borrow areas."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this award?
The Funding Opportunity Number is M22AS00327.
What is BOEM trying to accomplish with this opportunity?
BOEM is seeking baseline, decision-relevant ecological information that can be used to plan and evaluate offshore sand extraction in and around Frying Pan Shoals. The goal is to support responsible offshore sand management (for projects like beach nourishment and wetlands restoration) while maintaining the function of fish habitat in federal waters.
Why is this research needed now?
Coastal erosion and development pressures are increasing demand for beach-compatible sand. Traditional sand sources (including navigation dredging material) are not meeting demand in volume or timing. BOEM anticipates growing interest in offshore sand borrow areas, which increases the importance of understanding ecological impacts and resolving competing seafloor uses before sand extraction is proposed or authorized.
Where is the focus area for this work?
The geographic and community context described is the Cape Fear Region of North Carolina, with the scientific focus centered on Frying Pan Shoals on the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
What waters does BOEM manage for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) resources?
BOEM oversees OCS resources in federal waters, generally beginning 3 nautical miles offshore for most states, and beginning 9 nautical miles offshore for Texas and the Gulf coast of Florida.
How does offshore sand relate to BOEM's mission in this announcement?
Through BOEM's Marine Minerals Program (MMP), the agency can authorize the use of offshore sand, gravel, and shell for coastal resilience projects such as beach nourishment and wetlands restoration. This opportunity supports the science BOEM needs to make those decisions responsibly, particularly where sand resources overlap with sensitive or valuable habitats.
What is a "borrow area" in the context of this opportunity?
A borrow area is an offshore location where sand could be dredged for use in coastal projects such as beach nourishment. BOEM anticipates increased interest in offshore borrow areas as nearshore and traditional sand supplies become less reliable.
What is the main ecological management challenge addressed by this opportunity?
The core challenge is that many potential offshore sand sources overlap with habitats that are ecologically and economically important for federally managed fish species. Much of the federal OCS qualifies as Essential Fish Habitat (EFH), and Frying Pan Shoals has also been designated a Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) for multiple species, raising the stakes for careful planning and impact evaluation.
What is Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and why does it matter here?
Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) is a designation managed by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for fish species with commercial and recreational value. Because EFH is widespread on the federal OCS and may overlap with potential sand extraction locations, BOEM needs credible baseline data to support consultations and decision-making about impacts and mitigation.
What is a Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) and why is Frying Pan Shoals important?
A Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) is a designation by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) and NMFS indicating habitats with heightened sensitivity or particular ecological importance. Frying Pan Shoals is designated as an HAPC for multiple species, which emphasizes the need for stronger ecological understanding before any activities that could affect habitat are considered.
Why does BOEM need to consult with NMFS for activities in this area?
Before any dredging can occur, BOEM must consult with NMFS regarding potential impacts to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC). The information generated by this opportunity is intended to support those consultations and related planning and mitigation decisions.
What kinds of scientific questions does BOEM want addressed?
The opportunity emphasizes understanding ecosystem dynamics and services associated with shoal complexes. This includes topics like habitat quality and habitat function, and concepts such as bioenergetics and trophic transfer (how energy moves through the food web). BOEM is looking for science that clarifies how fish and benthic communities use Atlantic shoals under baseline conditions and how these systems function over multiple time scales.
What does the announcement mean by "ecosystem services" in shoal habitats?
In this context, ecosystem services refer to the ecological contributions shoal complexes provide, such as supporting food webs, sustaining fish assemblages, and providing habitat functions that may include feeding, nursery, or spawning value for federally managed species.
What is meant by "bioenergetics" and "trophic transfer" in the scope?
Bioenergetics relates to how organisms acquire and use energy, while trophic transfer refers to how energy moves through the food web (for example, from benthic communities to fish assemblages and up through higher trophic levels). The opportunity highlights these concepts as part of understanding how shoal ecosystems function and support fish habitat.
How is this opportunity different from existing research on other shoal systems?
The opportunity notes that similar shoal systems (such as Canaveral Shoals in Florida) have been studied extensively in a subtropical setting, including relationships among shoal habitats, benthic communities, fish assemblages, and trophic structure. By contrast, there is limited knowledge about how federally managed fish species use Atlantic shoals (including those in the Mid- and South-Atlantic Bight) under baseline conditions. BOEM is seeking work that closes that gap.
Why does the scope emphasize variability, storms, and disturbance?
BOEM highlights the need to understand how habitat contributions and ecosystem services change across storm events, post-disturbance recovery, seasonal shifts, and inter-annual changes. This focus supports decisions that must account for how the system behaves through time and how resilient it is when disrupted.
How could the results of this project influence offshore sand management decisions?
The research is intended to inform conservation measures and mitigation options that could reduce impacts from dredging. Examples mentioned include timing restrictions, spatial avoidance, monitoring requirements, and restoration actions, as well as supporting BOEM's planning and consultation processes with NMFS and regional fishery managers.
What type of funding instrument is used for this opportunity?
This opportunity uses a cooperative agreement. That means BOEM likely expects substantial coordination during project design, implementation, and reporting rather than a hands-off grant relationship.
Is this a discretionary or mandatory funding program?
It is categorized as discretionary funding.
What is the CFDA number and program area listed for this opportunity?
The activity area is environmental, and the CFDA listing provided is 15.423.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The listed award ceiling is $2,000,000.
When was this opportunity created and what was the closing date listed?
The opportunity was created on 2022-05-17, and the original closing date provided is 2022-07-18.
Who is eligible to apply based on the information provided?
Eligibility is targeted to Coastal State Governments and public, state-controlled institutions of higher education that participate in the Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) network.
What is the CESU network role in eligibility?
The announcement indicates BOEM intends to work through established regional research partnerships, and it targets eligibility to participants in the Piedmont-South Atlantic Coast CESU network (specifically Coastal State Governments and public, state-controlled institutions of higher education within that network).
What is the practical end goal of MM-22-03?
The end goal is to equip BOEM and its consultation partners (particularly NMFS and regional fishery managers) with credible baseline data and ecological understanding to balance shoreline protection needs with sustained fish habitat function in federal waters.
Does this opportunity authorize dredging or sand extraction?
No. Based on the description provided, this is a research-focused cooperative agreement opportunity intended to generate information BOEM can use for planning, consultation, and mitigation design related to potential future offshore sand extraction.
What kinds of habitats and communities are specifically mentioned?
The description highlights shoal habitats (shoal complexes) and their associated benthic communities and fish assemblages, including how these components interact within broader trophic structure and across time and disturbance conditions.
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