DOI Project #MB017; Hurricane Sandy; Building a Predictive Model for Submerged Acquatic Vegetation

This is an announcement for issuing a single source financial assistance award to the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. This announcement is for notification purpose only. The intent of the award is Building a Predictive Model for Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Prevalence and Salt Marsh resilience in the Face of Hurricane Sandy and Sea Level Rise. Funds under this award are to be used for modeling Hurricane Sandy Storm effects and seal level rise on salt marsh resilience and to be submerged aquatic vegetation, thereby informing coastal management planning by identifying marsh and tidal zone characteristics that indicate an ability to withstand future disturbances. Hurricane Sandy resulted in local and several alterations of individual coastal habitats in the northeastern United States, but the extent of the damage across thousands of hectares of coastal habitat within the storm¿s path and the impacts on wildlife remain unknown. Many bird species of conservation concern occur in tidal marshes and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) zones and these birds and the habitats on which they rely already face increased threats from sea level rise. This project will model the effects of a ¿super storm¿ on the vegetation communities of coastal habitats in the Northeastern United States, and predict the impact of future storms, as well as those units most in need of restoration/management to restore resilience. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 5, intends to make a sole source award of a cooperative agreement to the University of Delaware. This project was previously vetted and approved for funding by the Department of the Interior. Criteria for funding was based on the projects ability to yield the greatest return on investment by taking advantage of existing science and regional planning tools for resiliency and by working with states, cities, communities, and partners who contribute to the goals of restoring and rebuilding national wildlife refuges and other federal public assets, and to increase resiliency and the capacity of coastal habitat and infrastructure and to withstand future storms and to minimize the damage incurred. The University was selected based on its unique qualifications, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) complex in the Mid Atlantic using Thematic Mapping and building a model for identifying future prevalence and post-Sandy as well as future sea-level rise scenarios for improved management of saltmarsh resiliency. The appropriation for this project is the Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act of 2013, Public Law 113-2.