Request for Proposals
Research support for two small studies on the Swatch of No Ground (SoNG)
Context
The coastal water of Bangladesh is important habitat for a diverse range of cetaceans,including the world’s largest population of Endangered Irrawaddy dolphins, along with otherspecies such as Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, finless porpoises, and other marine
megafauna like sharks, rays, whales and sea-turtles along with an incredibly diverse array offish and fisheries resources with about 475 species of fish recorded.
The Swatch of No Ground (SoNG) is a submarine canyon over 900 meters deep, located at theBay of Bengal. It was created by erosive flows from the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river
system and underwater currents of the Bay, and was formed about 125,000 years ago. TheSoNG supports large numbers of marine species including Indo-Pacific bottlenose, pantropicalspotted and spinner dolphins, and a likely resident population of Bryde’s whales.
In 2014, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) declared SoNG as
the country’s first Marine Protected Area covering 1,738 km2 of priority habitat for sevencetacean species as well as for whale sharks, marine turtles, fish and fisheries, and seabirds,
occurring in the SoNG and surrounding coastal waters.
However, updated and sufficient data and information for knowledge-based decision-making
for the management of SoNG MPA is lacking. In this context, from 1st December 2023 a project
named “Updating Biodiversity data of SoNG MPA for Knowledge-based decision making” wasstarted by IUCN Bangladesh along with Bangladesh Forest Department supported by GIZ on
behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Under this project research support will be provided to two small grants to different
university students, with supervision from a renowned professor from the university, toconduct thesis or research work on various environmental and social aspects of SoNG,
including nutrient content, sediment transportation, fish and fish market survey (including
by-catch data), coastal benthos etc.

Small Grant 1
Topic: Proposal should be related to various environmental aspect of SoNG.
(a) Nutrients• Measure concentrations of key nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) in selected areas ofSoNG.
• Conduct preliminary temporal and spatial monitoring of nutrient fluctuations inspecific locations.
• Study the impact on aquatic food webs and species composition in targeted zones.

(b) Sediment transport• Map sources of sediment including rivers, coastal erosion.
• Quantify sediment load contributions from major sources.
• Model sediment transport processes influenced by water currents, waves, and wind.
• Develop a plan for monitoring seasonal and event-based changes in sediment
movement.
(c) Coastal benthos• Survey and document benthic organisms in selected coastal habitats.
• Monitor changes in benthic community structure in key areas.
• Assess the health of benthic habitats like coral reefs and mangroves.
• Study the impact of pollutants and physical disturbances on benthic communities.
• Develop a plan for long term monitoring of benthic community and interactions
between benthic organisms and other trophic levels

Small Grant 2Topic: Proposal should be related to various fisheries aspects of SoNG.
(a) Fish and Fisheries• Conduct baseline surveys to determine fish population sizes and diversity.
• Initiate monitoring of fish population dynamics to establish baseline data and track
short-term trends.
• Identify and map key habitats used by selected fish species (for spawning, feeding,and shelter) within the SoNG MPA.
• Perform an initial assessment of the impact of fishing activities on fish stocks using
available data.
• Conduct a rapid assessment the effectiveness of current fishing regulations andenforcement.
(b) Fish market biodiversity surveys
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Conduct regular surveys of fish species sold in local markets.
Identify trends in species availability and market demand.
Use genetic and morphological techniques to accurately identify fish species.
Document rare and endangered species in the market trade.
Analyze the economic importance of key fish species to local markets.
Assess the impact of market demand on fish populations and biodiversity.
Develop a plan to educate consumers about sustainable seafood choices andpromoting certification schemes for sustainably sourced fish products•Application criteria
Proposal on above mentioned topic can be submitted by1. Team: Masters level students along with 1 professor as supervisor/coordinator andone co-coordinator.
2. Department/Discipline: Environmental science/Zoology/Forestry/Marine
Science/Fisheries/Oceanography and other related disciplines from any esteemed
university of Bangladesh
3. Language: Proposal should be in English (Context, Objectives, Activities andmethodology, Outcomes)
4. Work plan and budget should be clearly mentioned in the proposal.
Selection criteria:
1. Team Composition – 20 points
2. Adequacy of the proposed, Context, Objectives, Activities and methodology/Workplan, Outcomes – 40 marks
3. Research experience in a similar field – 20 marks
4. Justification of the budget – 10 marks
5. Capacity and experience in project management and financial administration – 10marks
Time frame: 06 month from the start dateSubmission deadline: 10 October 2024
Deliverable:
Deliverable
Deliverable 1- inception report withdetailed methodology and approach
Deliverable 2- Final report with all researchfindings

Timeline
T1= T0 + 01 Month
T2= T0+ 06 Month

Submission process: Full proposal with all required section should be directly via email toE-mail: sarowar.alam@iucn.org
A B M Sarowar Alam
Programme Manager, Species and Habitats
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)Bangladesh Country OfficeHouse 143 (1st floor), Road 27,Block A, Banani, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh.