Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU)

The USGS is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for state-of-the-art research on gas and fluid composition analysis from deep-sea environments in the Aleutian Island Arc, U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Aleutian Arc is a largely understudied region of the U.S. EEZ and the characterization of seafloor habitats, environmental resources and volcanic hazards is widely lacking. The goal is to characterize the fluid and gas environment to inform our understanding of active submarine volcanism. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC, Gainesville, FL) is seeking research and technical assistance relevant to: "Characterizing fluid and gas composition in deep-sea environments within the Aleutian Island Arc."The USGS conducts ecological studies to understand deep-sea environments and the associated natural resources, in conjunction and coordination with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), as well as other state and federal partners. Research conducted by USGS scientists, and their research partners improves understanding of deep-sea environments, their spatial distribution, and sensitivity to disturbance. USGS"s research provides research results that are used to guide informed decision making regarding natural resources in the US EEZ. The USGS is offering a cooperative-agreement opportunity to CESU partners with the capability to sample, quantify, and synthesize data analysis of fluid and gas samples collected in discrete areas and develop best practices for detecting hydrothermal activity and associated mineral deposits. This work will result in new information for resource and hazard management and can be used for the development of decision-making policies by interested parties.