Genotyping to Identify Pallid Sturgeon Broodstock, Reproduction, and Recruitment using new technology | W81EWF 22 SOI 0005

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 22 SOI 0005

The grant opportunity "Genotyping to Identify Pallid Sturgeon Broodstock, Reproduction, and Recruitment using new technology" is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Department of Defense) research-focused cooperative agreement aimed at improving how managers genetically identify and manage pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River system. The core purpose is to strengthen conservation and recovery actions by using modern DNA tools to separate pallid sturgeon from shovelnose sturgeon and from pallid x shovelnose hybrids, to confirm the genetic purity of hatchery broodstock used for propagation and stocking, and to detect whether wild pallid sturgeon are successfully reproducing and recruiting juveniles in the Lower Missouri River and connected management units. The project is structured with a base effort and four option years, reflecting an initial phase focused on developing improved genetic markers and methods, followed by a larger-scale operational phase where those tools are applied to many more samples each year.

In the base option (planned across FY 2022 to FY 2025), the main technical thrust is to run Genotyping in Thousands by Sequencing (GT-Seq) on as many as 1,000 Lower Missouri River samples per year. This high-throughput sequencing approach is used to generate and refine a stronger suite of genetic markers that can more reliably distinguish pallid sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon, and hybrids. The work combines GT-Seq results with existing sequence resources (including ddRAD data) to build "new and more powerful" diagnostic markers. After marker development, the recipient is expected to apply multiple established population genetics and assignment frameworks to improve confidence in species status calls, including Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC), STRUCTURE, and NewHybrids. A key deliverable implied by the description is an improved genetic baseline and a set of criteria that can be used consistently to verify whether an individual is a pure pallid sturgeon, which is particularly important when decisions involve hatchery spawning and stocking.

The four option years (described as FY 2023 to FY 2026) expand from marker development into high-volume screening and applied management support, using previously established markers such as SNPs and microsatellites. During these option years, the project scales up dramatically to handle up to 15,000 samples annually. The practical management objectives during this period include: (1) screening Missouri River pallid sturgeon broodstock to ensure genetic purity before they are used in propagation and population augmentation; (2) providing efficient genetic identification services to distinguish pallid sturgeon from shovelnose sturgeon and hybrids in submitted samples; (3) developing a spawning relatedness matrix to help hatcheries avoid mating closely related fish, using broodstock genotypes and including comparisons to genotypes of males represented in a cryopreserved repository; and (4) using genetic identification to evaluate natural reproduction in the Lower Missouri River by confirming whether small sturgeon captured during monitoring represent wild-produced pallid sturgeon (recruitment) rather than other similar-looking sturgeon.

The applied sampling and analysis described for the option years specifically ties into field monitoring in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, including collections from the Central Lowlands and Interior Highlands Management Units. Monitoring crews capture juvenile or small-bodied Acipenseriformes that can be hard to identify visually, and the genetic work is meant to determine whether any of these fish are naturally produced pallid sturgeon, which would be direct evidence of successful reproduction and recruitment. On the broodstock side, the recipient is expected to genotype candidate brood fish and compare them against established baselines of wild pallid and shovelnose sturgeon from the same river regions where broodstock were collected. The opportunity lays out the intended decision framework: use STRUCTURE outputs (Q-values), WhichRun assignment metrics (LOD scores), and NewHybrids results to classify each individual as pallid sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon, or hybrid. The management intent is to ensure that only genetically verified pure pallid sturgeon enter artificial spawning and propagation programs, so that stocked progeny align with recovery guidance from the Pallid Sturgeon Recovery Team and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommendations about using locally sourced fish for augmentation.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, categorized under science and technology/research and development (CFDA 12.630). The opportunity number is W81EWF 22 SOI 0005. It was posted December 1, 2021, with an original closing date of December 31, 2021. The anticipated award structure is a single award (ExpectedAwards: 1) with an award ceiling of $180,000. Eligibility is listed as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement. Overall, the grant is designed to support both near-term operational needs (high-throughput genetic screening for management decisions) and longer-term improvements (development of stronger markers and more reliable classification criteria) that directly affect endangered species recovery actions and the Corps' ability to evaluate outcomes of river management under relevant Biological Opinion requirements.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Genotyping to Identify Pallid Sturgeon Broodstock, Reproduction, and Recruitment using new technology" 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 Dec 01, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 31, 2021. (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 $180,000.00 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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