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Fish Habitat Monitoring and Research in Support of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP)

Background
Determined to reverse the declines of America's fish habitats, a growing number of fisheries professionals, state and federal agencies, tribes, foundations, conservation and angling groups, businesses and industries joined together in support of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP). The mission of the NFHAP is to protect, restore and enhance the nation's fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people.

On March 4-6, 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in partnership with the National Fish Habitat Science and Data Committee, sponsored a NFHAP Science and Monitoring Needs Workshop to develop a short term science and monitoring agenda for the National Fish Habitat Board. The workshop results included a prioritized list of research and monitoring needs, and those of highest priority to the NFHAP are the focus of a research competition open to all Biological Research Discipline (BRD) scientists.

The USGS Status and Trends Biological Resources and the Fisheries: Aquatic and Endangered Resources Programs are coordinating USGS support for NFHAP.

Scope
On June 23, 2008, USGS announced the availability of funds and requested proposals for a maximum of three years to investigate the following research or monitoring issues of highest priority to the NFHAP:
1. Fish-habitat relationships, including human impacts and their variation at different scales.
2. Appropriate standardization of sample design, methodology and monitoring for data analysis.