Federal Grant Award Summary

CAL Poly Corporation received a $178,335 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), awarded June 15, 2026, with completion expected by May 31, 2031. This collaborative Long-Term Ecological Research (LTREB) renewal project delivers ongoing observational data collection and analysis of rocky intertidal ecosystem populations in the North Pacific Ocean. The research documents impacts of environmental variation, including sea star wasting disease, heat waves, and chronic temperature increases, on the stability of seaweed and animal communities. Products include multi-decade longitudinal datasets, empirical field testing of ecological stability theories, and forecasting models to predict future ecosystem states.

The award supports integration of artificial intelligence technology for data processing to advance ecosystem stability understanding and generate planning tools for resource managers and policymakers. Deliverables encompass scientific publications documenting community resilience and variability patterns, manager guidance based on field-tested theoretical frameworks, and educational benefits through training of next-generation scientists. The research extends existing time-series data and expands geographic scope to warmer southern sites, providing evidence-based decision-support resources that address critical societal needs in coastal resource management and climate change adaptation planning.