Management and Synthesis of Seabird Colony Data | F17AS00240

Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00240

The grant opportunity titled "Management and Synthesis of Seabird Colony Data" (Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00240) was a discretionary Cooperative Agreement offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Its purpose was tightly focused on improving how a specific, long-running seabird monitoring dataset is handled and used, specifically the aerial photographic records of seabird breeding colonies along the Oregon and Washington coasts. The work was connected to surveys conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service OCNWRC and the Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex (WMNWRC), reflecting a need to safeguard and make sense of an established time series of colony imagery gathered over multiple years.

At its core, the opportunity aimed to accomplish two linked outcomes: proper data management and data synthesis. "Proper data management" in this context implies organizing, standardizing, and maintaining the long-term archive of aerial photographs and associated information so the dataset remains usable, discoverable, and protected over time. That typically includes tasks such as consolidating imagery and related files, applying consistent naming and versioning practices, ensuring metadata are complete (for example, dates, colony locations, species or colony identifiers, survey platform details, and other contextual notes), and implementing quality control so that the archive is reliable for scientific and management use. It also points toward stewardship practices that make the data easier to share within or across agencies and less vulnerable to loss, duplication, or format obsolescence.

The second major emphasis, "data synthesis," indicates the agency wanted more than storage and organization. The intent was to turn the photographic archive into usable information products that can support decision-making and long-term ecological understanding. In practice, synthesis often involves compiling results across years and sites, identifying trends or changes visible in the imagery, summarizing colony status at surveyed breeding locations, and producing integrated datasets or summary outputs that allow comparisons over time. Because the source material is aerial photography, synthesis could include translating image-based observations into structured data, linking photos to colony polygons or standardized site identifiers, and generating summaries that help managers interpret changes in colony occupancy, distribution, or relative size across seasons and years. The emphasis on "long-term" signals the value of continuity and trend detection, which are central to monitoring colonial seabirds and assessing how breeding sites are changing over time.

The funding activity categories listed for the opportunity were Environment, Information and Statistics, and Natural Resources, which matches the dual nature of the work: it is both ecological monitoring support and information management. The CFDA number associated with the opportunity was 15.678. Eligibility was limited to institutions of higher education, including both public and state-controlled universities and private universities, suggesting the Fish and Wildlife Service was seeking an academic partner with the technical capacity to manage complex datasets and conduct analytical synthesis, potentially leveraging expertise in wildlife ecology, geospatial data, image interpretation, database design, and statistical analysis.

Administratively, the opportunity was created on June 6, 2017, with an original closing date of June 13, 2017, indicating a very short application window. The posting also states "THE RECIPIENT HAS BEEN SELECTED," which typically means the agency had already identified the intended awardee, often consistent with certain cooperative agreement practices where substantial agency involvement and a specific partnership are expected. The anticipated award structure was for a single award (Expected Awards: 1), with an award ceiling of $76,377. In other words, it was a targeted, limited-scope funding action designed to support a defined package of data management and synthesis work rather than a broad, multi-recipient grant program.

Overall, this opportunity can be understood as an investment in the long-term value of seabird colony monitoring along the Oregon and Washington coasts. By improving the organization and accessibility of aerial colony photographs and by synthesizing the information contained in those records, the cooperative agreement was intended to ensure that years of survey effort translate into usable, defensible products that can inform refuge management, conservation planning, and ongoing monitoring decisions.

• The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment, information and statistics, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Management and Synthesis of Seabird Colony Data" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.678.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 06, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 13, 2017 THE RECIPIENT HAS BEEN SELECTED. (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 $76,377.00 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, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for F17AS00240

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