Project abstract: principal investigator: brendan truley primary contact: alexandra jaroszewski, 4600 rickenbacker cswy, (305) 421-4089

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a cooperative agreement totaling $2.7 million to the University of Miami on October 1, 2025, under the Cooperative Institute (Inter-Agency Funded Activities) program (CFDA 11.405). The Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), based at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School, will collect and analyze data on lower trophic level organisms in Barataria Basin, Louisiana as part of Deepwater Horizon restoration efforts. The work will document the abundance, distribution, and community composition of primary producers including water column and sediment surface microalgae, worms, and small crustaceans in open water and marsh edge habitats. These organisms form the foundation of the coastal Louisiana food web and are critical to restoration of economically important fisheries species. CIMAS serves as a NOAA cooperative institute bringing together a consortium of partner universities to support NOAA's mission through collaborative research in climate, weather, oceanography, and ecosystems. The award covers the period from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, with place of performance in Key Biscayne, Florida. Principal investigator Brendan Truley and primary contact Alexandra Jaroszewski are located at 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, (305) 421-4089, ALK132@MIAMI.EDU.