SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Marine Mammal Response Maui/Kaua'i - RFQ-Marine Mammal Response
- Notice Date
- 7/2/2012
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 541620
— Environmental Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, James J. Howard Marine Sciences Lab, 74 Magruder Road, Highlands, New Jersey, 07732, United States
- ZIP Code
- 07732
- Solicitation Number
- PIRO-12-04933
- Archive Date
- 7/31/2012
- Point of Contact
- Denise Rogers, Phone: 808-944-2208
- E-Mail Address
-
DENISE.ROGERS@NOAA.GOV
(DENISE.ROGERS@NOAA.GOV)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Marine Mammal Response on Kauai/Maui STATEMENT OF WORK I. Statement of Work The contractor shall provide professional support services coordinating and supporting community-based marine mammal monitoring, incident response, and rescue on the Islands of Maui and Kaua‘i to the Pacific Islands Regional Office, Protected Resources Division. II. Background The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO), Protected Resources Division, manages the main Hawaiian Islands Marine Mammal Response Network (MMRN). The central purpose of the MMRN is to build and maintain capacity for effective, efficient, humane, and legally compliant response to Hawaiian monk seal and cetacean strandings and other incidents. PIRO manages the MMRN in partnership with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources pursuant to an ESA Section 6 Cooperative Agreement, MOU for Co-Management of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, and other authorities. Hawaiian monk seals are one of the world's most endangered seals. Although the overall population is declining, driven by a sharp decline in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the monk seal population in the main Hawaiian Islands is growing. Recent surveys suggest that at least 150 seals now occupy the main Hawaiian Islands. While this increase raises promising new prospects for the species' recovery, it also poses new management challenges. For example, monk seals haul out and give birth on popular recreational beaches where they are subject to unintentional disturbance by beach goers and ocean users. Seals also haul-out on boat ramps and other shoreline locations requiring rapid and effective management response. Seals are also subject to hookings and entanglement in fishing gear in the main Hawaiian Islands. The MMRN is responsible for managing responses to these and other types of Hawaiian monk seal incidents. These responses vary widely in complexity, from relatively simple confirmation of a seal's presence on a remote beach, to roping off a healthy seal for a few hours on a crowded beach with a "seal protection zone" or SPZ, to complex "pupping events" where a mother-pup pair is monitored around the clock for up to seven weeks. PIRO's MMRN is also responsible for whale and dolphin (cetacean) stranding response in Hawaii. Cetaceans usually strand in Hawaii due to natural causes such as old age, disease, and predation. Cetaceans also become entangled in nets, derelict fishing gear, and other marine debris such as plastics. Cetaceans are also known to swallow plastics and collide with vessels. The MMRN is responsible for responding to all of these types of incidents. Like monk seal response, cetacean stranding response varies from simple operations involving a single staff person and light equipment, such collecting a small dead dolphin on the beach, to major operations involving multiple staff and heavy equipment, such as pulling and 40-ton sperm whale carcass off rocky shoreline, conducting a necropsy, and disposing of the carcass. The MMRN in the main Hawaiian Islands relies heavily on the support of volunteers drawn from island communities. Volunteer response network members serve in a variety of roles, including "routine" haul-out response, filling "shifts" at monk seal pup monitoring stations, being first responders to confirm the presence and condition of a stranded cetacean, and staffing educational booths at public events. Managing and supporting the volunteer network is a major part of the scope of responsibilities for the MMRN. Volunteer network management, among other activities, entails recruiting and training volunteers, and scheduling the time and locations of their work. III. Description of Work and Services PIRO is seeking to secure marine mammal response coordination services for the islands of Maui and Kaua‘i. These services shall be provided at approximately 24 hours per month per island. Work hours may vary significantly from month to month as requested in advance by NMFS. No overtime hours will be required to perform these services. The contractor shall conduct the following marine mammal response support services (Field Research Leader III or equivalent) tasks on the Islands of Maui and Kaua‘i: • Provide support services to the Kaua‘i and Maui marine mammal response coordinators • Support timely and effective marine mammal incident responses and rescues under the technical guidance of PIRO's marine mammal response network coordinator • Provide technical, logistical and other assistance for responses to Hawaiian monk seal haul-outs, injuries, entanglements, pupping events, and other incidents • Provide technical, logistical and other assistance for cetacean strandings, ship strikes, entanglements, and other incidents • Assist in collection and temporary holding of Hawaiian monk seals small cetaceans and transport from Kaua‘i and Maui to other locations off-island for treatment and/or rehabilitation • Assist in developing and maintaining schedules for volunteer trainings, public and volunteer meetings, and volunteer shifts during monk seal pup monitoring events • Assist with public education and outreach activities, such as classroom presentations in local schools and informational booths at community events • Perform services not to exceed 576 total hours for both islands combined over the entire performance period. No over-time hours shall be performed. • Provide a vehicle for use by contractor personnel to support the conduct of the above tasks, accruing no more than 1,200 total miles for both islands combined over the period of performance. • Travel to Oahu for trainings and/or meetings over the performance period as follows: o Two 1 day trips total (no overnight stay) - one trip each for Maui and Kaua‘i. Place of Performance: Islands of Maui and Kaua‘i Period of Performance: September 29, 2012 through September 30, 2013 IV. Minimum experience or background requirements of Contractor personnel • Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four (4) year college or university in a Natural Resources related field, Environmental Education or related field • At least two years of experience working with a marine mammal response program in the State of Hawai‘i • Knowledge of the marine protected resources of the Hawaiian Islands • Knowledge of marine mammal species in Hawaii • Ability to communicate with diverse audiences of varying ages, educational levels, and cultural backgrounds • Ability to work well within a team to accomplish stated objectives. • Demonstrated team-building skills and ability to facilitate cooperation amongst groups with diverse viewpoints • Experience managing a volunteer program • Experience with computer programs such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word • Valid driver's license required to travel to response activities, transport supplies and equipment, and meet with volunteer and stakeholder groups. • Must be able to perform moderate physical activity such as basic animal restraint, lifting of response equipment and supplies, and walking long distances on beaches • Skill in written communication, oral presentation, and computer graphics and design programs. V. Deliverables All deliverables will be submitted to the NMFS Project Officer through the Contractor's Project Manager. • Monthly report, in bullet format, summarizing accomplishments and challenges in conducting the tasks listed above for Maui and Kaua‘i VI. Schedule and Payments This is a fixed labor-hour, non-personal service task order. Government personnel will be responsible for the overall scheduling of project activity and will provide the Contractor's Project Manager, scheduling information, survey forms, etc. Invoicing shall be monthly. VII. Non-Personal Service Contract Statement Contractor employees performing services under this order will be controlled, directed and supervised at all times by the Contractor's Project Manager or personnel designated by the Contractor. Contractor employees will perform independent of and without the supervision of any Government official. Actions of contractor employees may not be interpreted or implemented in any manner that results in any contractor employee creating or modifying Federal policy, obligating the appropriated funds of the U.S. Government, overseeing the work of Federal employees, providing direct personal services to any Federal employee or otherwise violating the prohibitions set forth in Parts 7.5 and 37.1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The Government will perform the inspection and acceptance of the completed work.
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