Marine Mammal and Habitat Monitoring-Cook Inlet Beluga Whale Prey at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, is seeking statements of interest from eligible parties for a cooperative agreement to conduct a multi-year study of the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale (CIBW) and their habitat in and around Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Alaska. The project aims to inform JBER's environmental management, support compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and contribute to the overall recovery of the CIBW population. Key tasks include: * Characterizing ice conditions on Eagle River within the ERF impact area * Characterizing the underwater acoustic environment in waters on and adjacent to JBER * Investigating behavioral reactions of belugas to military noise * Determining beluga presence, numbers, group composition, movement, and behavior during open water periods * Collecting eDNA samples from Eagle River and Knik Arm for future analysis of potential beluga prey items