Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit

The Southwest Biological Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is offering a Cooperative Agreement to one member of the Colorado Plateau CESU Program.The goal of this project is to promote continued cooperation between the USGS and a university partner of the Colorado Plateau CESU to support ecological research along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, Arizona.This project will improve understanding of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon and the role that drought and Glen Canyon Dam operations may be playing in driving dynamics of parasites and diseases of both humans and fish, invasive species, and the aquatic insect prey base for fishes. Important elements of the university research roles will include validating new e-DNA detection tools for monitoring parasites and diseases, invasive species, and the aquatic insect prey base and new modeling tools that will inform predictions about possible future conditions.