# Oyster Larval Transport/Hydrodynamic Modeling for the Herring Bay Sanctuary, Maryland

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/w81ewf-25-soi-0008-oyster-larval-transport-hydrodynamic-modeling-for-the/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359756

> Engineer Research and Development Center offered grants of up to $115,000 to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make one award worth $115,000 in total. Applications closed on August 6, 2025.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | W81EWF-25-SOI-0008 |
| Agency | Engineer Research and Development Center |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | August 6, 2025 |
| Award ceiling | $115,000 |
| Award floor | not stated |
| Expected awards | 1 |
| Total funding | $115,000 |
| Cost sharing | not required |
| Assistance Listings | 12.630 |

## Who can apply

- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

This opportunity is restricted to non-federal partners of the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU).

## What the grant funds

Background: The Chesapeake Bay Agreement 2014 goal of successfully restoring oysters to 10 tributary rivers, 5 in Virginia and 5 in Maryland is on track to be achieved in 2025. This was the initial goal of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Oyster Goal Implementation Team (GIT). In considering future restoration efforts, USACE-Baltimore District and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) are considering selecting Herring Bay, an open water sanctuary for a large-scale restoration project. Herring Bay is in the mainstem of the middle Chesapeake Bay along the western shoreline. The Herring Bay Sanctuary is expansive at 16,792 ac. Within the sanctuary, 7,981 (48%) is historic oyster bottom or Yates Bars that would be evaluated for restoration potential as part of the process to develop a restoration plan for the sanctuary. Historically, this portion of the Bay held abundant oyster habitat, but over harvesting, impaired water quality, loss of habitat, and disease have all contributed to low populations today. Limited sampling by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) have identified populations to be essentially eliminated from the existing sanctuary. Conditions including water quality and bottom substrate support reef restoration, however little information on reproduction and larval transport are available to support developing restoration plans. An understanding of local currents and their ability to transport oyster larvae to and within the sanctuary will play a key role in reestablishing sustainable oyster reef habitat and populations. It is known that most oyster reef systems consist of both source and sink reefs, with the source reefs providing oyster larvae to self-replenish, as well as providing larvae to other hydrodynamically-connected reefs (Lipcius et al. 2015, Theuerkauf et al. 2021). The intent of this investigation is to generate information to identify source and sink dynamics within Herring Bay. That information will be folded into tributary plan development to prioritize sites for restoration sites. Simulations from bio-physical models can be used to identify potential restoration sites based on how they fit into the regional metapopulation. USACE and MDNR intend to use the findings of the proposed modeling to identify a phased restoration plan to restore sustainable oyster populations to Herring Bay. Lipcius, R.N., Burke, R.P., McCulloch, D.N., Schreiber, S.J., Schulte, D.M., Seitz, R.D., Shen, J., 2015.

## Questions people ask

### Is W81EWF-25-SOI-0008 still open?

No. It closed on August 6, 2025. A newer notice is open: W912HZ26S0001, closes January 1, 2027 (55 days left).

### Who can apply for Oyster Larval Transport/Hydrodynamic Modeling for the Herring Bay Sanctuary, Maryland?

Engineer Research and Development Center accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

### What is the deadline for Oyster Larval Transport/Hydrodynamic Modeling for the Herring Bay Sanctuary, Maryland?

Closed August 6, 2025. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

### How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $115,000 each. About $115,000 in total for one award.

### Who has won Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were Battelle Memorial Institute, Msi Stem Research & Development Consortium, University of California San Diego. The program made 1,101 awards worth $1.3 billion in that time.