A Gopher rockfish (Sebastes carnatus) in the foreground near a white-spotted anemone (Urticina lofotensis) with vertical relief at the Outer Pinnacles in Carmel Bay, California. The site is part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Chad King / NOAA MBNMS

The NCCOS Competitive Research Program, in cooperation with NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and National Marine Protected Areas Center, is pleased to announce its Fiscal Year 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Regional Ecosystem Research (RER) Program.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been used as one of the main tools to protect significant natural and cultural resources within the marine environment for the benefit of present and future generations. While the use of MPAs and MPA networks as resource management tools has grown significantly in recent decades, there is still substantial scientific investigation needed to improve MPA stewardship and effectiveness. 

For an MPA or MPA network to meet its intended purpose, it is imperative that it encompass the habitat requirements for key species, taking into account the species’ home range, site fidelity, and ontogenetic patterns of habitat use. The RER Program is soliciting proposals to understand species’ habitat usage and connectivity in and around MPAs. This information will be used to improve the ability of resource managers to address habitat connectivity, species’ habitat affinities, and spatial and temporal usage of habitats in management plans for MPAs. Selected projects will help support national and global commitments to effectively conserve 30% of marine and coastal areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, by 2030.  

NCCOS expects to fund two projects for up to four years in duration, with an approximate annual budget for each project up to $500,000, not to exceed $2,000,000 per project. The deadline for full applications is January 23, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. View the full NOFO here.