Evaluation of Legacy and Contaminants of Emerging Concern on the Health and Nutritional Status of Double Crested Cormorants

This is a notice of intent to award a single source grant to the Dr. Ludwig without competition under justification 505DM 2.14.B.4. The required start date for this Grant Agreement is April 1, 2017 and the project period end date is September 1, 2019. Competition for this award in not practical as Dr. Ludwig has over 50 years of experience with colonial waterbirds of the Great Lakes. As such he is an invaluable source of knowledge and experience. A retired biologist, he will gift his time and considerable knowledge to the project saving USFWS significant money while providing his unique qualification to the research. His efforts will provide valuable insight into colonial waterbird research and inform the Areas of Concern Beneficial Use Impairment Wildlife Deformities and Reproductive Impairments in Michigan, Indiana, and Canada.