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SBIR PHASE II: IMPROVEMENT OF THE BIOFUEL FERMENTATION PROCESS BY THE PHAGE-MEDIATED REDUCTION OF CONTAMINATING LACTIC ACID BACTERIA

IOWA GO TO MARKET (G2M) PROGRAM

THIS PROJECT WILL ALLOW THE JAGUARES DE LA SELVA MAYA PROGRAM TO FOCUS ON EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF RANCHES INTERVENED TO AVOID CONFLICTS WITH JAGUARS, REINFORCE THE CAPACITY BUILDING OF LOCAL LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS, AND IMPROVE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. IT ALSO SEEKS TO CONSOLIDATE AND STRENGTHEN COORDINATED ACTIONS BETWEEN MEXICO AND GUATEMALA TO PROTECT JAGUARS IN THE SOUTHERN MAYA FOREST. ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE: (1) EDUCATION OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING MODULES ON IMPROVED LIVESTOCK HUSBANDRY FOR THREE FIELD SCHOOLS IN SOUTHERN MEXICO, THE PROVISION OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE REGION, AND BY CARRYING OUT AWARENESS-RAISING ACTIVITIES TO EXPLAIN THE ADVANTAGES OF SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK PRACTICES (2) BUILD ELECTRIC FENCES AND NIGHT ENCLOSURES IN 15 RANCHES TO PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE LIVESTOCK FROM JAGUAR PREDATION (3) LAUNCH A JAGUAR FRIENDLY GREEN CERTIFICATION FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS AND (4) STRENGTHEN THE CAPACITIES OF THE BINATIONAL GROUP TO CONSERVE THE JAGUAR AND ITS HABITAT THROUGH STRATEGIC PLANNING, EXPERIENTIAL EXCHANGES, AND WORKSHOPS.

SBIR PHASE I: PHAGE CONTROL OF FILAMENTOUS BACTERIA - A NOVEL FOCUSED ANTIMICROBIAL APPROACH TO COUNTER MICROBIAL PROBLEMS IN MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER S

THE NORTHEASTERN BEACH TIGER BEETLE IS A LONG LEGGED SAND COLORED BEETLE WITH LARGE BLACK EYES LIVING ITS WHOLE LIFE FROM A GRUBBY LARVAE TO AN ADULT BEETLE IN THE ONLY PLACE ON EARTH IT CAN OCEAN BEACHES IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. LIVING ON BEACHES IS A DANGEROUS LIFE BECAUSE THE SALTY DESERT LIKE ENVIRONMENT IS HOT IN SUMMER FREEZING IN WINTER AND OCEAN STORMS CAN CREATE OR DESTROY THE BEETLES HABITAT IN A MATTER OF HOURS. YET THE NORTHEASTERN BEACH TIGER BEETLE HAS EVOLVED TO THRIVE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT. UNTIL THE 1970S THIS BEETLE WAS SEEN IN VAST SWARMS ON NEARLY EVERY BEACH IN THE NORTHEAST BUT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND BEACH USE HAS DESTROYED ALL BUT THREE POPULATIONS. TWO REMAIN IN MASSACHUSETTS AND ONE NEW POPULATION IN NEW JERSEY WAS CREATED BY THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE DURING THE CHALLENGING COVID19 PANDEMIC 2020 TO 2022 USING TRANSPLANTED BEETLES FROM MASSACHUSETTS. MUCH WORK REMAINS TO BE DONE TO DEVELOP METHODS THAT ACTIVELY PROTECT AND CREATE NEW HABITATS FOR THESE BEETLES TO PREVENT THEIR EXTINCTION. THIS PROJECT FUNDS CRITICAL ACTIVITIES TO CREATE IMMEDIATELY NEEDED AND ENDURING CONSERVATION TOOLS WHICH WILL BE DIRECTLY APPLIED TO PROTECT THE NORTHEASTERN BEACH TIGER BEETLE AND CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO ALL OTHER ENDANGERED SPECIES OF TIGER BEETLES. IN PARTICULAR THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS PROTECTION OF THESE BEETLES IN SEVERAL WAYS THE NEW JERSEY POPULATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE SURVEYED BY COUNTING ADULT BEETLES IN SUMMER TO JUDGE ITS HEALTH IS THE POPULATION SHRINKING OR GROWING A STUDY TO UNDERSTAND BEHAVIOR OF THE ADULT BEETLES AT THE NEW JERSEY SITE DO THEY STAY IN THE PROTECTED AREAS ENTER THE HUMAN USE BEACHES OR FLY AWAY ANOTHER TRANSPLANT OF BEETLES FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO NEW JERSEY TO GROW THE NJ POPULATION AND RESEARCH WITH PIPING PLOVER CONSERVATIONISTS TO FIND HABITAT PROTECTIONS WHICH BENEFIT BOTH THESE BIRDS AND THE BEETLES. ALSO THIS PROJECT TAKES OTHER ACTIONS TO STANDARDIZE SURVEY METHODS WHICH ARE ONLY KNOWN BY A FEW BEETLE EXPERTS TO MAKE THESE METHODS REPRODUCIBLE BY USFWS STATES AND NGO STAFF WISHING TO PERFORM SURVEYS WHICH ARE THE PRIMARY WAY TO UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH OF POPULATIONS. LASTLY THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO IDENTIFY ANY REMAINING HABITAT IN THE NORTHEAST IN THE HOPES OF CREATING MORE POPULATIONS AND IDENTIFY SHORELINE PROTECTION MEASURES WHICH CAN PROACTIVELY PROTECT NORTHEASTERN BEACH TIGER BEETLE HABITAT IN THE FUTURE.

SBIR PHASE I: IMPROVEMENT OF THE BIOFUEL FERMENTATION PROCESS BY THE PHAGE-MEDIATED REDUCTION OF CONTAMINATING LACTIC ACID BACTERIA

STRENGTHENING LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTION TO CONSERVE JAGUARS IN THE GREATER LACANDONA ECOSYSTEM, MEXICO.

NORTHEASTERN BEACH TIGER BEETLE TRANSLOCATION FY19 RECOVERY CHALLENGE GRANT

FAST AWARD

MX FY 2019 WNS RESEARCH GRANT

INFORMATION ON WINTER BEHAVIOR OF TEMPERATE VESPERTILIONID BATS IN MEXICO IS STILL LIMITED. CONSIDERING THE CURRENT TRENDS OF PD FUNGUS TO SOUTHERN LATITUDES IN NORTH AMERICA, IT IS EXPECTED THAT PD WILL BE DETECTED SOON IN MEXICAN TERRITORY. GIVEN THAT MEXICO HOLDS THE SOUTHERNMOST HIBERNATING BATS IN NORTH AMERICA, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HIBERNATION AS WELL AS CONTINUOUS SURVEILLANCE OF MEXICAN BAT POPULATIONS AND PD SURVEYS MUST BE CONSIDERED IN WHITE NOSE SYNDROME RESPONSE EFFORTS. THANKS TO THE SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION OF NATIONAL WILDLIFE HEALTH CENTER (NWHC), WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (WMI) AND FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (FWS), DURING OUR FIVE YEARS OF EVALUATION WE WERE ABLE TO EXPLORE MORE THAN 150 AND WE FOUND 78 WINTER ROOSTS WITH HIBERNATING BATS OF 10 VESPERTILIONID SPECIES, LOCATED IN 21 SITES IN 11 STATES OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MEXICO. WE ALSO CONDUCTED PD SAMPLING IN 19 OF THESE SITES AND WE OBTAINED RELEVANT DATA ON WINTER COLONY COUNTS, BAT SKIN TEMPERATURES AND ADJACENT SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURES WHERE BATS ROOST, AND ROOSTING BEHAVIOR AND MOVEMENTS OF THE ENDEMIC AND ENDANGERED BAT MYOTIS PLANICEPS PRIOR TO WINTER.FOR THIS PROPOSAL, OUR GOALS ARE TO DOCUMENT THE ECOLOGY OF HIBERNATING BATS IN MEXICO AND ASSESS THE POTENTIAL ENTRY AND INVASION PROGRESS OF PSEUDOGYMNOASCUS DESTRUCTANS (PD) INTO MEXICAN TERRITORY. THEREFORE, WE WILL CONTINUE WITH WINTER COLONY COUNTS AND WILL SEARCH FOR NEW BAT HIBERNACULA IN MEXICO, WITH THE DOCUMENTATION OF PHYSICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN HIBERNACULA, AND WITH THE SEARCHING OF WINTER ROOSTS OF MYOTIS PLANICEPS. IN ADDITION, WE ARE MOTIVATING TO TWO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO PERFORM THESIS IN THIS PROJECT, WHOM WILL BE IN CHARGE OF TO COMPARE ECOLOGICAL FEATURES BETWEEN HIBERNATING BAT POPULATIONS IN CENTRAL MEXICO AND THOSE AFFECTED BY PD FUNGUS IN NORTH AMERICA, AND TO EXPLORE THE ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOLOGICAL FEATURES WITH SEASONAL AND SPATIAL VARIATIONS IN THE USE OF CAVES BY HIBERNATING BATS IN CENTRAL MEXICO. WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE MONITORING OF THE PRESENCE ABSENCE OF PD IN HIBERNATING BATS OF MEXICO IN KNOWN SITES AND EXPAND IT TO NEW SITES.THE RELEVANT OUTCOMES WILL BE TWO UNDERGRADUATE THESES, REPORTS OF RESULTS OF THE PRESENCE ABSENCE OF PD FUNGUS IN MEXICO, AND A MANUSCRIPT ABOUT WINTER BEHAVIOR OF MYOTIS PLANICEPS. WE HAVE BEEN TRAINING AND COLLABORATING WITH PEOPLE FROM THESE ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, AND TO INVITE OTHER KEY PARTICIPANTS FROM OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AND NON GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS, LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES AND INTERESTED RESEARCH GROUPS. WE WILL MEET WITH LOCAL AND GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES SO WE CAN KEEP MAKING AN IMPACT ON DECISION MAKING OVER THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE FOUND HIBERNACULA TO DATE. THANK TO INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION AND TRAJECTORY OF OUR RESEARCH, THE CURRENT PROPOSAL WILL CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING TO UNDERSTANDING THE WINTER BEHAVIOR OF HIBERNATING BATS, AS WELL AS EXPANDING THE SCOPE AND THE SCALE OF THE NATIONAL RESPONSE TO WNS, IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE, CONTAIN, OR CONTROL THE PRESENCE, TRANSMISSION, AND INFECTION OF PD IN MEXICO.

TRANSLOCATE APPROXIMATELY 200 THIRD-INSTAR NORTHEASTERN BEACH TIGER BEETLE LARVAE.

GIANT SALVINIA WEEVIL REARING FACILITY

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION OF BATS AT THE XOXAFI CAVE, HIDALGO, MEXICO