AT-24-03: Ocean Environmental Monitoring and Sound Propagation Study at Mid-Atlantic Shelfbreak Offshore Wind Area
Agency: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Posted: 2024-03-20 | Closing date: 2024-06-13
Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m., ET,on the listed application due date.
Estimated total program funding: 3000000
Award ceiling: 3000000
Award floor: 2950000
Cost sharing or matching requirement: No

Environmental assessments on offshore renewable energy development require accurate modeling and effective monitoring. Traditional sound propagation modeling for noise effect analysis often uses historical environmental variables that may not reflect oceanographic regime shifts due to climate change. Existing acoustic monitoring only evaluates species calls and signal/noise characteristics collected at the recording sites without incorporating oceanographic variables, and is thus unable to address broader issues such as ecological dynamics and oceanographic processes related to offshore wind development.The proposed study will deploy acoustic sensors in the vicinity of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Pioneer Array ocean observation platform to collect active and passive acoustic datasets and to conduct sound propagation measurements. Acoustic data analyses will incorporate physical oceanographic time series collected in situ to understand mesoscale and sub-mesoscale oceanographic dynamics and ecosystem level effects from offshore wind development.The outcome of the study will assist to understand the sub-mesoscale and mesoscale oceanographic processes and changes in relation to offshore wind planning and development at the mid-Atlantic shelfbreak region. The outcome will also provide validation to regional sound propagation models. Additionally, the outcome will include information on diurnal, seasonal, and annual occurrence and abundance of planktons, fishes, and marine mammals near offshore wind farm areas.

Eligibility: This Program Announcement describes the specific projects that may be awarded to the universities or eligible groups identified. All awards are premised on receipt of an acceptable proposal. This is not an open solicitation for proposals.This announcement is specifically to announce intent to undertake the following project(s):Ocean Environmental Monitoring and Sound Propagation Study at Mid-Atlantic Shelfbreak Offshore Wind AreaOpen to:Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESUs): North Atlantic Coast, Chesapeake Watershed, Gulf Coast, Californian, and Pacific Northwest.The award will be a cooperative agreement (see Eligibility Information below). This involves substantial involvement by BOEM scientists in various aspects of study development and/or study conduct. Research projects are required to have a staff member of the applying organization as the Principal Investigator (PI).Cooperative research between interested organizations-i.e., state agencies, public universities, and non-profits in affected states-is always encouraged.Cost Share/Match: Contributions of matching funds towards these efforts, either as cash or in­ kind contributions (such as salary, equipment, etc., or a combination of both) is very strongly encouraged. Match cannot include value associated with collection costs for samples previously collected. Match value for instrumentation and other equipment should be adjusted to the period of use within the project relative to the full life cycle for the item. Written documentation for the assessed match for ship time (if applicable) shall provide a fair assessment of costs relevant to the project. Matching dollars cannot be from other Federal funding sources. Further information can be located at 2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 200.306.All questions regarding this project, including eligibility, should be directed only to the "Program Announcement and Cooperative Agreement Questions" point-of-contact listed in Section G.