Evaluating Mineral Associated Blue Carbon Accumulation in Coastal Wetlands | W81EWF 21 SOI 0021

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is this funding opportunity about?

This opportunity seeks a research partner under a cooperative agreement to study how "mineral associated blue carbon" accumulates and is stabilized in coastal wetland soils. The work focuses on measuring carbon that is protected when it binds to minerals, and comparing those mineral-protected carbon pools across natural marshes and wetlands that have been created, restored, or enhanced using dredged material or other mineral-rich sediments.

What is meant by "mineral associated blue carbon" in this notice?

In the context of this notice, mineral associated blue carbon refers to soil carbon in coastal wetlands that is protected by binding to mineral particles. The project is designed to quantify this carbon pool and evaluate how stable it is (for example, whether it is less likely to break down and return to the atmosphere) compared to other forms of wetland soil carbon.

Why is ERDC interested in wetlands built or enhanced with dredged material?

Dredged-material projects can introduce soils with a much higher mineral fraction than typical organic-rich wetland soils. ERDC wants to understand whether these mineral-heavy conditions store carbon differently, including whether mineral-associated carbon in these settings is more stable than carbon stored in other ways.

Which agency is offering this opportunity?

The agency is the Department of Defense (DoD), through the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).

What type of award instrument will be used?

The notice describes this as a discretionary funding opportunity using a cooperative agreement instrument.

What does a cooperative agreement imply for ERDC involvement?

ERDC expects to be actively involved rather than acting only as a funder. The notice states ERDC will provide technical guidance, help shape experimental design and method development, collaborate on selecting sites, participate in sample collection and analysis efforts, and co-author journal articles and conference presentations.

What is the Funding Opportunity Number?

The Funding Opportunity Number is W81EWF 21 SOI 0021.

What is the CFDA number and program category listed?

The notice lists CFDA 12.630 and places the opportunity under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category.

How much funding is available?

The award ceiling is $140,000.

How many awards does ERDC expect to make?

The notice indicates an expectation of one award.

Where will the research take place?

The work is geographically broad but anchored in the southeastern United States and the Gulf Coast, with examples noted in Florida and Alabama. To make results more widely applicable, the project also includes sampling in the Chesapeake Bay region and the Great Lakes.

What kinds of wetland sites will be studied?

The study design emphasizes comparisons between natural wetlands (for example, natural marshes) and created/restored counterparts, including sites created or enhanced using dredged material or other mineral-rich sediments.

What are the main scientific outcomes ERDC is looking for?

ERDC frames the project around three outcomes: (1) demonstrate that mineral-associated carbon can be quantified in wetland systems in a practical, defensible way; (2) compare mineral-associated carbon pools across geographic regions to evaluate how regional factors influence mineral-protected carbon; and (3) clarify how carbon form and stability differ between natural wetlands and created/restored wetlands, particularly where sediment additions and management actions change soil composition.

What methods are expected for sampling and analysis?

The research is expected to use standard coastal wetland soil carbon collection and analysis methods to describe soil characteristics, while also introducing or testing newer, specialized measurements that quantify mineral-associated carbon and estimate its lability or recalcitrance (how easily carbon decomposes versus how strongly it is protected).

Does the project require development of new or specialized methods?

Yes. The notice emphasizes a proof-of-concept phase where the researchers outline and demonstrate novel methods for characterizing mineral-associated carbon in coastal wetlands, and later refine those methods to make them more operationally efficient (particularly if the optional third year is pursued).

How will field sampling be organized?

Field work is organized around paired sampling. For each study site, the team should collect and analyze soil samples from both natural wetlands and created/restored counterparts. The notice specifies at least triplicate samples to support basic statistical comparisons.

What is the expected structure or timing of the work?

The notice describes expected tasks for the first two years, starting with building a technical team and selecting study sites, followed by proof-of-concept method development and paired field sampling across regions. An optional third year can expand and synthesize the work. The notice also indicates overlapping performance periods are not expected, suggesting a structured sequence rather than multiple concurrent phases.

What are the key tasks in the first two years?

For the first two years, the expected tasks include: building a technical team, selecting study sites, demonstrating novel methods for mineral-associated carbon characterization (proof-of-concept), and conducting paired sampling of natural versus created/restored wetlands with at least triplicate samples.

What deliverables are expected during the first two years?

The deliverables include two peer-reviewed journal articles co-developed with ERDC researchers: one focused on methods and their application to mineral-protected carbon in wetlands, and another focused on field results spanning the Southeast/Gulf Coast, Chesapeake Bay, and Great Lakes. The researchers must also develop and present public seminars to communicate findings.

Is there an optional third year, and what would it include?

Yes, the notice describes an optional third year. It would refine the developed methodology to be more operationally efficient, either broaden the study into additional regions or build chronosequences of restored/created wetlands of different ages since construction, and produce an integrative publication or public report with ERDC. Public seminar presentations would continue.

What expertise does ERDC expect the research partner to have?

ERDC signals the awardee should have deep expertise in coastal carbon dynamics, wetland field sampling, and soil carbon science with a specific emphasis on mineral-associated carbon pools. The partner should be able to collect and process soil cores across diverse coastal conditions, including both organic-dominated and mineral-dominated substrates, and have advanced laboratory capability to fractionate and characterize carbon pools and estimate both carbon quantity and resistance to decomposition. The notice also emphasizes strong methodological development experience and experience working across natural and constructed/restored wetlands.

Will ERDC collaborate on publications and presentations?

Yes. ERDC expects joint drafting of journal manuscripts, internal peer review during the period of performance to support publishable outputs, and co-authorship on journal articles and conference presentations.

What outreach or communication is expected?

The notice includes an expectation that the research team will develop and present public seminars to communicate findings, continuing across the project (including the optional third year).

What reporting is required?

The awardee is expected to provide quarterly status reports and a final report due within four months after the study is complete.

When was the opportunity posted and what was the closing date listed?

The notice states it was created June 22, 2021, with an original closing date of August 18, 2021.