The EPA South Florida Program provides competitive grants to address the immediate and emerging ecological pressures and threats to south Florida waters including fresh waters, estuaries, bays, and coral reef, central to south Floridas economic and ecological wellbeing. Aquatic ecosystems play a vital role supporting healthy and resilient estuaries, coastal, inland, and near-shore infrastructure by providing food, habitat, nutrient removal, water filtration, storm attenuation, carbon storage, shoreline stabilization, and other financial and tangible benefits.This NOFO solicits applications for the South Florida Program region that includes the 16-county area covered by the South Florida Water Management District as well as the Florida Keys, Florida Reef Tract, Caloosahatchee Estuary, Indian River Lagoon, St. Lucie Estuary, Florida Bay, and Biscayne Bay. Please refer to the map located in Appendix D of the NOFO.This NOFO supports the Special Studies/Research component for the South Florida Program. Special Studies are projects that provide information specific to management questions and concerns, inform policy, and provide understanding of south Florida aquatic ecosystems. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to: supporting monitoring, research, or innovative restoration efforts for key species (e.g. coral, seagrass, sponges, mangroves, etc); research, investigation, and demonstration projects to mitigate harmful algal blooms; residential canal pollution reduction demonstration projects; innovative stormwater pollution reduction demonstration projects; water quality and benthic habitat monitoring; research and management strategies to address contaminants of emerging concern; identifying and understanding cause-effect relationships of pollutants in the environment; addressing specific management questions to protect sensitive ecosystems; applying innovative approaches, methods, or techniques to prevent, treat, and manage pollution from entering waterbodies; and investigating regional water quality impacts from pollution sources.