Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research in remote sensing algorithm development and to validate remote sensing data products for evaluating phytoplankton communities in Barataria estuary. The research investigates the effectiveness of using remote sensing technologies to monitor estuarine phytoplankton that are essential lower trophic levels in aquatic food webs.The following Executive Orders (EOs), Secretarial Orders (SOs), and Authorization align with this NOFO. The EOs include EO 14313 – Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission (July 3, 2025) that creates a commission to promote conservation, restore lands and waters, and expand access to public lands, , EO 14303 – Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) that ensures integrity and rigor in federally funded research, emphasizing transparency and unbiased science for environmental decisions, EO 14239 – Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025) that strengthens resilience by empowering state and local governments to make risk-informed infrastructure and preparedness decisions, EO 11990 – Protection of Wetlands (May 24, 1977), which requires federal agencies to minimize destruction or modification of wetlands, and lastly EO 13956 – Modernizing America's Water Resource Management and Water Infrastructure (October 13, 2020) that improves coordination for water resource management and resilience, benefiting wetlands. The SOs include SO 3441-Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science, May 23, 2025 (August 29, 2025) by requiring scientific integrity in restoration planning, ensuring wetlands are managed with evidence-based practices to support resilient ecosystems, SO 3442 – Land and Water Conservation Fund Implementation (September 4, 2025), prioritizes projects improving water quality, flood protection, and wetland restoration, SO 3447 – Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior Lands and Waters (January 7, 2026) supports access to restored lands, reinforcing conservation and habitat management, SO 3347 – Conservation Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation (March 2, 2017), enhances conservation stewardship and recreation opportunities, including habitats, and SO 3356 – Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation (September 15, 2017), promotes wildlife conservation and habitat restoration,. The Authorization of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) – 33 U.S.C. 2701, 2761, which provides authority for restoration of natural resources injured by oil spill and link can be found here.