Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received a $750,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences under the Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050), with an award date of August 1, 2026, and completion scheduled for July 31, 2030. This collaborative research initiative delivers fundamental scientific understanding of how biogeographic barriers and oceanographic processes interact to drive range shifts in marine fish populations. The project combines statistical modeling of species distributions, physiological laboratory experiments, and field surveys—including the first ichthyoplankton surveys conducted in the Mid-Atlantic Bight study region in over two decades—to examine mechanisms of species colonization across the ocean convergence zone on the U.S. continental shelf. The research challenges conventional theory regarding poleward species migration patterns under climate warming by investigating why certain species successfully cross biogeographic barriers while others do not, even when physical transport conditions permit dispersal.

The award also incorporates a substantial education and training component that provides coursework and paid internship experiences for undergraduate students, with particular emphasis on students attending institutions without established marine science or oceanography curricula. Research outputs will directly inform local and regional marine fisheries management decisions. The integrated approach combines trait-based ecology, population dynamics, field observations, and laboratory studies to develop a predictive framework for species colonization and colonization dynamics, addressing a critical gap in ecological theory regarding species distribution shifts in regions characterized by steep environmental gradients.