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Request for Proposals

Biotic Index Based on Plankton Data, for Open Waters of the Great Lakes

(closed 8/9/99)

Background

As part of the U.S. EPA's effort to make environmental information available to a wide audience, the Great Lakes National Program Office is attempting to develop efficient and understandable indices for application to our existing environmental monitoring data. This request for proposals (rfp) addresses a portion of our biological monitoring program designed to assess the ecological "health" of the open waters of the Great Lakes. Plankton records exist, at the Great Lakes National Program Office, for the lower four Great Lakes. The species composition and biomass information have been published in trend analysis reports and as peer reviewed journal articles. However, we are looking for the development and calibration of a suite of metrics similar to those employed in the Index of Biotic Integrity, but based on phytoplankton and zooplankton data, that will provide Great Lakes stakeholders with a more easily understood and uniform assessment of the health of the open water community.

The successful use of multi metric approaches (e.g. Index of Biotic Integrity, Invertebrate Community Index, Rapid Bioassessment Protocol) in streams and lakes, has led to their acceptance within the environmental monitoring community. Indices built on this approach have the ability to integrate information from individual, population, community and ecosystem levels.

The U.S. EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) proposes to fund the development and calibration of a multi metric index applicable to the open water plankton communities of the Great Lakes. The index should include, as a minimum, metrics assessing community structure (e.g. taxa richness and relative abundance), taxonomic composition (e.g. sensitivity of taxa, presence of exotic species) and biological processes (e.g. functional groups). GLNPO has a long-term data set which extends from 1986 or earlier, to the present, and includes genus to species level data for the zooplankton and phytoplankton of Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Michigan, along with size measurements. The samples come from the spring (April-May) and summer (August-September) surveys of offshore stations of the lakes. The offshore is not strictly defined but is, in general, the area of the lake at or deeper than the mean depth. We realize that selection of reference sites or conditions may be difficult, and look forward to creative solutions to this concern. GLNPO scientists will assist in providing and discussing data, and may work cooperatively with the principal investigator during period of the study. Ship time aboard the R/V Lake Guardian could be made available to the principal investigator for purposes directly related to the study.

The Project will have a two year project and budget period beginning on the date of award. The maximum amount of funding is expected to be $100,000.00 over the two year period.

The successful applicant will receive a copy of the GLNPO plankton data sets from the most recent three to four years, and will be expected to utilize this in developing metrics for the index and to calculate the index for the years and lakes where data are available. The entire long-term data set is not yet available, but is expected to be during the first year of the project. Calculation of the index for the entire long-term data set is also suggested. Prior to completion of the grant, methodology for calculating the index will be transferred to GLNPO. This transfer will include training in utilization of the method.

Proposals will be reviewed by GLNPO scientists and by an external review panel. The ranking process will be made available upon request. Proposals will be evaluated according to these criteria:

(45%) Qualifications of the principal investigator(s) and staff. The principal investigator must have demonstrated expertise interpreting plankton species/community abundance data, have familiarity with multi metric indices.
(30%) Soundness of scientific approach and design for the proposed research.
(10%) Availability of adequate facilities and equipment.
(10%) Reasonable budgetary justification for the project.
(5%) Reasonable work schedule and time table.

Quality Assurance: A Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) will be prepared by the recipient of the award. It must be accepted by the USEPA Quality Assurance Officer and the Project Officer prior to analysis of environmental samples. The QAPP must follow the guidelines posted at http://epa.gov/ncer/guidance/qa.html.

Eligibility: Assistance (through grants, cooperative agreements, and interagency agreements) is available pursuant to Clean Water Act § 104(b)(3) for activities in the Great Lakes Basin and in support of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. State pollution control agencies, federal agencies, interstate agencies, other public or nonprofit private agencies, institutions, organizations, and individuals are eligible; "for-profit" organizations are not.

The deadline for receipt of proposals in August 9, 1999. All proposals will be reviewed, and the successful applicant notified by September 10, 1999.

Proposals (5 copies) should be submitted to:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office (G-17J)
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604-3590

Proposals should not exceed 20 pages in length and will be evaluated against the above criteria. Applicants seeking additional information regarding the project may contact Glenn Warren at (312) 886-2405 or via e-mail at warren.glenn@epa.gov at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes National Program Office.