Monitoring Phragmites australis biological control agent movement into the US | W81EWF 21 SOI 0013

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 21 SOI 0013

This grant opportunity, titled "Monitoring Phragmites australis biological control agent movement into the US" (Funding Opportunity Number W81EWF 21 SOI 0013), comes from the Department of Defense through the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and is offered as a cooperative agreement under a science and technology research and development category (CFDA 12.630). The project is framed around an urgent management problem in the Great Lakes: the invasive, introduced Eurasian lineage of common reed, Phragmites australis australis, which has expanded across North American wetlands and often outcompetes the native subspecies, Phragmites australis americanus. While the plant may be valued as habitat in parts of Europe, in North America it is widely treated as a harmful invader because dense reed stands can reduce plant and wildlife diversity, alter wetland structure, and interfere with water-based uses and shoreline function.

The core scientific and management context is that biological control is viewed as the only truly targeted long-term tool under development for the introduced Phragmites genotype in the United States. Work on classical biological control has been underway for more than two decades, and two leading candidate agents developed by CABI in Switzerland are Archanara neurica and Archanara geminipuncta, European stem-boring moths whose larvae feed within Phragmites stems. A U.S. release permit is still under review by USDA APHIS, meaning deliberate releases cannot occur in the U.S. yet. Canada, however, has already approved releases, and initial releases occurred along the northeastern shore of Lake Ontario in fall 2019. Because Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are shared-border waters, there is a realistic possibility that these moths could disperse naturally into U.S. shoreline stands before any U.S. permitting decision is finalized. That potential cross-border movement is a major driver of this opportunity.

The project’s purpose is essentially to get ahead of that situation by building a solid pre-biological-control baseline and then watching closely for the first signs of agent arrival. ERDC emphasizes that any biocontrol program needs strong measurements of "before" conditions in order to later judge whether the agent is establishing, spreading, and actually reducing the invasive reed in meaningful ways. Without standardized baseline data, it becomes difficult to separate true biocontrol impacts from normal year-to-year changes due to weather, water levels, or other management actions.

The anticipated work is organized around three objectives. First, in Year 1, the awardee will identify and establish long-term monitoring sites in the U.S. Great Lakes region near the Canadian border, with primary attention on the southern shore of Lake Ontario and possible inclusion of Lake Erie because of proximity to the Canadian release locations. The opportunity anticipates establishing up to about 10 study sites. Site selection is meant to focus on stands of the introduced European subspecies (P. a. australis) that are near enough to Canadian release areas to plausibly receive immigrating moths. ERDC expects to coordinate on criteria and provide feedback, but it also states it will rely heavily on the selected partner or vendor to locate, evaluate, and set up the sites.

Second, also in Year 1, the awardee is expected to develop a standardized monitoring protocol that can be used broadly by USACE personnel or other partners, including staff who are not specialized Phragmites or entomology experts. This is a major deliverable because the intention is to build a monitoring approach that is repeatable, transferable, and scalable into a larger Great Lakes network. The protocol is expected to cover multiple components: methods to detect Archanara moth presence (adults and/or larvae), approaches to estimate larval density or evidence of stem boring, and consistent measurements of Phragmites stand extent, density, and plant health. It also calls out the need to document whether stands contain native versus introduced Phragmites, including identification of haplotypes, which implies some level of genetic or molecular confirmation rather than relying solely on visual identification. The description notes that larval detection may require winter surveys, which fits with how stem-boring insects can be detected by dissecting stems and looking for larvae, feeding damage, or overwintering signs when vegetation is dormant and easier to sample systematically. It also notes that some work, such as stem dissections, may occur at the awardee’s laboratory rather than entirely in the field.

Third, the project includes multi-year monitoring (anticipated Years 1 through 4) at the established sites to detect the arrival and potential spread of Archanara spp. from Canada into U.S. stands. This is explicitly described as a longer-term effort because key uncertainties remain: it is not yet known whether the Canadian releases have resulted in established, self-sustaining moth populations, and it is not known how quickly, or how far, the moths may disperse from the original release points. The monitoring effort is therefore intended to start by collecting baseline site data and then continue with repeated surveys over time to document any first detections and track changes, creating the foundation needed to later evaluate impacts if the agents arrive and persist.

Geographically, the work is centered in the Great Lakes region, particularly near northeastern Lake Ontario where the Canadian releases took place, and along the U.S. shorelines most likely to receive immigrants. The public benefit statement ties the monitoring outputs to practical, long-term wetland and waterbody management outcomes: by establishing pre-biological-control conditions and detecting agent migration early, managers can better assess whether biological control becomes a viable, self-sustaining tool to reduce invasive Phragmites over the long haul. The opportunity frames these benefits in terms of protecting or improving recreational access, drinking water supply interests, and habitat quality for native flora and fauna, with the broader idea that effective biocontrol could provide continuing control well beyond the initial active management phase.

Administratively, the notice lists a single expected award with a ceiling of $35,000, indicating a relatively small, targeted effort focused on establishing sites and protocols and beginning early monitoring rather than funding a large regional program outright. The original posting date is March 10, 2021 with an original closing date of April 30, 2021, and eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification expected in the full eligibility text. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a rapid-response baseline-and-detection project meant to position U.S. managers to document and interpret any near-term cross-border movement of Archanara biocontrol agents while the U.S. permitting process remains in progress.

• The Department of Defense, Engineer Research and Development Center in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Monitoring Phragmites australis biological control agent movement into the US" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 10, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $35,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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