SPECIAL NOTICE
F -- MODELING HOTSPOTS OF SEABIRD FISHERIES INTERACTIONS AND BYCATCH IN NORTHEAST UNITED STATES (U.S.) FISHERIES INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE
- Notice Date
- 6/24/2024 1:07:19 PM
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- DEPT OF COMMERCE NOAA SEATTLE WA 98115 USA
- ZIP Code
- 98115
- Solicitation Number
- REQUIREMENTS-24-2268-NOISS
- Response Due
- 7/9/2024 2:00:00 PM
- Archive Date
- 07/24/2024
- Point of Contact
- JAMIE ABU SHAKRAH, Phone: 2065266021
- E-Mail Address
-
jamie.abushakrah@noaa.gov
(jamie.abushakrah@noaa.gov)
- Description
- NOTICE OF INTENT TO NEGOTIATE A SOLE-SOURCE CONTRACT MODELING HOTSPOTS OF SEABIRD FISHERIES INTERACTIONS AND BYCATCH IN NORTHEAST UNITED STATES (U.S.) FISHERIES National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NOAA Fisheries hereby gives public notice of the intent to negotiate a sole-source contract pursuant to the authority of Federal Acquisition Requirements (FAR): FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) and 41 USC 3304(a)(1) establishes authority for the government to seek services from VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE & STATE UNIVERSITY (VT). SCOPE: The requirement focuses on the identification and prioritization of seabird bycatch reduction strategies through modeling of conditions that (1) lead to seabird-fisheries interactions in U.S. Northwest Atlantic waters and (2) inform the location and scale of bycatch reduction strategies. This seabird hotspots modeling work will analyze environmental data as well as fisheries effort and observer data for a variety of fisheries, such as gillnet, trawl, and pelagic longline, to develop models that can predict seabird bycatch hotspots and to determine location and scale of bycatch reduction opportunities based on predictive hotspot modeling and changes in fishing practices.� The Department of Interior (DOI) and NOAA plan to share the results of initial bycatch hotspot modeling work with stakeholders in order to gather input on mitigation strategies and gauge stakeholder perceptions of bycatch reduction alternatives. In addition, the DOI and NOAA plan to use the results of these analyses to accomplish predictions of the effectiveness of voluntary bycatch reduction strategies. The seabird hotspots modeling project will conduct data synthesis, estimate hotspot times and locations, evaluate the effects of fishing tactics and environmental factors, and, as practicable, estimate annual seabird bycatch for selected gear types. In addition, the Contractor will conduct simulation studies to evaluate bycatch reduction strategies, how those strategies could affect bycatch estimates, and cumulative impacts from all evaluated fisheries. The Contractor will obtain required data for these analyses primarily from NOAA Fisheries. TASK REQUIREMENTS: Task 1: Initial Project Kickoff Meeting and Quarterly Progress Meetings: The Contractor shall set-up, coordinate and participate in an initial project kickoff and monthly progress conference calls via webinar in Google Meet or similar shared service with NOAA project officials. The Contractor shall assume that these conference calls will require one (1) Contractor personnel of the project team and one (1) staff person to record notes in attendance, with adequate time to prepare prior to each conference call, and follow up afterwards in preparing the meeting summary report. Conference call shall be no more than one (1) hour long. The quarterly progress conference calls will be scheduled in cooperation with NOAA Project Officials following the project kickoff meeting. Within five (5) business days after each of these conference calls, the Contractor shall submit a Meeting Summary Report as Deliverable 1 for review and approval by the NOAA Project Officials of the topics discussed, decisions made, or actions agreed to be accomplished. If notified that this Meeting Summary Report contains errors or omissions, the Contractor shall make the necessary corrections and resubmit this Meeting Summary Report to the Government within two (2) business days after being notified by the COR. Task 2: Synthesize Observer Data and Develop Hotspots Modeling Approaches by Fishery The Contractor shall synthesize observer data obtained from NOAA by fishery (primarily gillnet, trawl, and pelagic longline), and develop appropriate modeling approaches to quantify hotspot locations and seasons of seabird bycatch and how they vary inter-annually, with emphasis on Northern Gannets and Great Shearwaters. The Contractor shall submit a draft deliverable for this task at least fifteen (15) business days prior to the final deliverable due date. The Contractor shall incorporate comments from NOAA Project Officials for submission of the final deliverable for NOAA review and approval. Task 3: Evaluate Fishing Tactics and Their Effects on Target Seabird Species The Contractor shall analyze observer data obtained from NOAA and evaluate the effects of fishing tactics (bait, gear specification, and fishing practice) on Northern Gannet and Great Shearwater bycatch rate by selected Fishery. The Contractor�s evaluation shall include an examination of the effects of the fishing tactics on age- and/or sex structure, injury rate, and survival rate at release of the captured seabirds as data allow for Northern Gannet and Great Shearwater. The Contractor shall submit a draft deliverable for this task at least fifteen (15) business days prior to the final deliverable due date. The Contractor shall incorporate comments from NOAA Project Officials for submission of the final deliverable for NOAA review and approval. Task 4: Develop Seabird Bycatch Hotspots Models for Select Fisheries The Contractor shall develop models for seabird distribution that incorporate analysis of the relationships between hotspot location and climate and oceanic factors for gillnet and trawl fisheries primarily, and pelagic longline fisheries if practicable, off the Western North Atlantic seaboard to determine whether these relationships can help predict seabird bycatch hotspots. Seabird bycatch hotspots for the purposes of this task may include geographical areas with elevated risks of high levels of discards or bycatch of seabird species during commercial fishing activities. Hotspots may be influenced by habitat, oceanographic features, spatio-temporal distribution patterns of target and non-target species, regulations that require discards, and/or the fishing practices employed, such as gear choice. Analysis shall incorporate evaluation of data to identify hotspot locations on satellite imagery of sea surface temperature and ocean color to support this effort. The Contractor shall submit a draft deliverable for this task at least fifteen (15) business days prior to the final deliverable due date. The Contractor shall incorporate comments from NOAA Project Officials for submission of the final deliverable for NOAA review and approval. Task 5: Conduct Simulation Studies using Seabird Bycatch Reduction Strategies The Contractor shall conduct simulation studies to evaluate the potential effectiveness of bycatch reduction strategies, and, if appropriate, re-evaluate bycatch estimates based on new information (such as that coming from workshops with fishery participants) or requests from NOAA Project Officials. The Contractor shall submit a draft deliverable for this task at least fifteen (15) business days prior to the final deliverable due date. The Contractor shall incorporate comments from NOAA Project Officials for submission of the final deliverable for NOAA review and approval. The following activities support the preceding tasks and shall be undertaken progressively over the project duration: Use a spatiotemporal barrier hurdle model to identify locations of high bycatch probability and their shifts through time. Examine relationships of hotspot locations and their shifts through time as a function of cyclic oceanographic indices. Predict future hotspot locations. Evaluate the reliability of hotspot location predictions. Examine distribution patterns of target fleets in relation to seabird bycatch hotspots in order to evaluate the fishing community�s likely support of bycatch reduction strategies. Analyze observer data on vessel-specific gear configurations and practices to identify opportunities for change in fishing tactics (i.e., gear and/or behavior) that might reduce seabird bycatch. Prepare scenarios and use them to estimate the scale of opportunities of reducing bycatch by changing fishing tactics. Estimate annual seabird bycatch, variability, and potential bycatch reduction with applied bycatch-reduction strategies, including effort relocation in time and/or space and changes in fishing tactics. Interact with collaborators and, through them, the fishing community engaging in studied fisheries to refine and test scenarios of bycatch reduction strategies that would be accepted by fishery participants and potentially reduce seabird bycatch. Recalculate bycatch reduction potential across all selected fisheries after interactions with fishery participants. FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) and 41 USC 3304(a)(1) establishes authority for the government to seek services from VT to perform the Seabird Hotspot Modeling project. Responses to this notice must be provided within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of this notice. Vendors who believe they can meet this requirement are required to submit in writing an affirmative response demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the requirements. All written responses must include a written narrative statement of capability, including detailed technical information demonstrating their ability to meet the requirement. The response must be sufficient to permit agency analysis to establish a bona fide capability to meet the requirement. Failure to submit such documentation will result in the Government proceeding as previously stated. A determination by the Government not to open the requirement to competition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Affirmative written responses must be received no later than 2:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, July 9, 2024. The responses must be submitted via e-mail to Jamie Abu Shakrah, Contract Specialist, at Jamie.AbuShakrah@noaa.gov.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://sam.gov/opp/0cac37f29ff8464da3b103b1253c58e6/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: USA
- Country: USA
- Country: USA
- Record
- SN07105204-F 20240626/240624230112 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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