Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
The Geological Survey seeks a Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit partner to develop and test passive samplers for detecting invasive carp eggs and larvae drifting downstream in rivers.
Funder: U.S. Geological Survey
Due Dates: December 7, 2026 (Applications, 11:59 p.m. ET)
Funding Amounts: $300,000 estimated total for one award over four years; $34,000 estimated in Year 1
Summary: Supports development and testing of passive ichthyoplankton samplers to detect downstream-drifting invasive carp eggs and larvae in rivers.
Key Information: Applicants must be participating partners of the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers this cooperative agreement to a Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) partner to develop hydrodynamically based, passive ichthyoplankton samplers. The research targets early detection of bighead, silver, grass, and black carp reproduction in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins, including waters upstream of established adult populations.
The project will develop debris-shedding sampler designs for laboratory testing with preserved eggs, then live eggs and larvae. Successful designs will undergo field testing in known spawning rivers alongside traditional sampling methods to compare detection probabilities. The goal is a relatively low-cost, unattended sampler deployable for hours to days. Expected outputs include published results and data, patents where necessary, and technology transfer to international, federal, state, and tribal partners.
