Abstract here we present the second half of a 4-year project that was initially funded under federal award number NA21OAR4050472, subaward 0S00001649

The University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) received a $2.46 million Cooperative Agreement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Cooperative Institute (Inter-Agency Funded Activities) program (CFDA 11.405) for the period October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028. This award represents Phase II of a four-year project continuation, building upon prior NOAA funding (Federal Award Number NA21OAR4050472). The cooperative agreement supports research activities conducted through the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), focusing on two primary research themes: Ecosystem Observations, Modeling, Forecasting and Management, and Protection and Restoration of Marine Resources.

Under the Ecosystem Observations, Modeling, Forecasting and Management theme, the award funds research to advance understanding and forecasting of marine ecosystem structure and function in the Southeast U.S. coastal ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of America large marine ecosystems. Research activities include application of omics technology, environmental DNA analysis, and autonomous underwater vehicles to characterize underwater ecosystems, assess fish recruitment and productivity, support protected species sustainability, and monitor human health impacts such as harmful algal blooms and beach closures. The Protection and Restoration of Marine Resources theme supports development of technology prototypes, research tools, and scientific approaches to advance marine resource management. Funding supports salaries for Co-Principal Investigators and research activities by University of Miami faculty, staff, and students, with specific project support determined through competitive proposals submitted to NOAA program offices.

This cooperative agreement will be for the second phase of this project (10/1/25-06/30/28). The task III budget presented in this request is developed based upon the present resources allocated to this task. Task III funds provide support for research on cimas themes by UM faculty, staff, and students. Support for specific projects is based both upon competitive proposals submitted to NOAA program offices. A detailed budget summary is presented below that requests salary for the CO-PIS. All research activities in cimas that this proposal addresses the themes described below: 1. Ecosystem observations, modeling, forecasting and management 2. Protection and restoration of marine resources 1. Ecosystem observations, modeling, forecasting and management research conducted under this theme will focus on: * improved understanding, earth system modeling and forecasting of the structure and function of marine ecosystems including ecosystem services provide for the southeast U.S. Coastal ocean, the caribbean sea, and gulf of america large marine ecosystems; * the use of omics, edna and autonomous underwater vehicles to characterize and map underwater ecosystems; fish recruitment and productivity; protected species sustainability and recovery; and human health (e.g., beach closings, fish contaminants, and harmful algal blooms), all of which will be used in the assessment and management of living marine resources and their habitats; * promoting sustainable coastal development, facilitating community resiliency, and enabling an ecosystem approach to management in the southeast U.S. Coastal ocean, the caribbean sea, and gulf of america marine ecosystems; 2. Protection and restoration of marine resources research conducted under this theme leads to: * development of technology prototypes, research tools, and scientific approaches to effective restoration and biogeographical characterizations of marine resources that would utilize emerging technologies and platforms (e.g. remote sensing, underwater vehicles, omics and edna); * improvements in defining, observing, forecasting, and protecting components of marine protected areas and restoring habitats and populations to form healthy productive systems; * exploration of managed solutions to a wide range of problems from removing contaminants to providing new materials and techniques to protect underwater cultural resources, focused on the southeast U.S. Coastal ocean, the caribbean sea, and gulf of america marine ecosystems. In the following section we list the project to be conducted under task III that is expected to continue for 3 years for this phase of the project.