UC Davis Awarded Over $3M In Grants By Dept. Of Fish And Wildlife

DAVIS, CA -- The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced the selection of 38 projects, including five at UC Davis, that will receive funding for multi-benefit ecosystem restoration and protection projects.

The UC Davis projects will receive nearly $3.3 million combined, according to the CDFW.

The 38 awards, totaling $48.5 million, were made under two separate solicitations for projects focused in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and watersheds statewide.

UC Davis projects approved for funding through the Proposition 1 Watershed Restoration Grant Program and Proposition 68 grant programs include the following scientific studies:

• Quantifying genetic and epigenetic variation in Delta smelt that may enable adaptation to future environments ($934,616);
• Effects of Multiple Environmental Stressors on Ecological Performance of Early Life Stage Sturgeon ($957,427);
• Quantifying Biogeochemical Processes through Transport Modeling: Pilot Application in the Cache Slough Complex ($570,602);
• Developing an eDNA metabarcoding protocol to improve fish and mussel monitoring in the San Francisco Estuary ($419,742);
• The role of wetlands in pelagic food webs: metagenomics reveals how wetland plant detritus may promote zooplankton growth and survival ($399,171).

General information about CDFW’s Prop. 1 and Prop. 68 Restoration Grant Programs, as well as a schedule of locations and dates for workshops, once available, can be found at www.wildlife.ca.gov/grants.

Funding for the projects comes from Prop. 1 and Prop. 68 bond funds, a portion of which are allocated annually through the California State Budget Act. More information about Prop. 1 and Prop. 68 is on the California Natural Resources Agency website.