SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- ASSESSMENT OF NEARSHORE HABITAT
- Notice Date
- 7/28/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Eastern Region Acquisition Division-KC, 601 East 12th Street, Room 1756, Kansas City, Missouri, 64106, United States
- ZIP Code
- 64106
- Solicitation Number
- NFFN5300-10-18327SLW
- Point of Contact
- Sharon L. Walker, Phone: (816)426-7470
- E-Mail Address
-
sharon.walker@noaa.gov
(sharon.walker@noaa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries, located in St. Petersburg, FL intends to procure services to quantify the habitat utilized by Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) during their residency period in Choctawhatchee Bay and compare results to prior analyses in order to determine changes in habitat utilization. DESC: This is a notice to acquire services to quantify the habitat utilized by Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) during their residency period in Choctawhatchee Bay and compare results to prior analyses in order to determine changes in habitat utilization. Gulf sturgeon are a large anadromous fish, that spawn in coastal river systems along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Gulf sturgeon were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1991 due to threats from overfishing, dam construction, and habitat degradation. Unlike the closely related Atlantic sturgeon (A. o. oxyrinchus) both juvenile and adult Gulf sturgeon participate in the freshwater migrations (Huff 1975, Wooley and Crateau 1985, Foster and Clugston (1997). Like many other sturgeon species, Gulf sturgeon show a delayed age of maturation and require several years between spawning events to replenish spent gonadal material (Smith and Clugston 1996). Historically, Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi) occupied large river systems from the Rio Grande River, Texas east to the Caloosahatchee River in peninsular Florida; the southernmost known distribution of any sturgeon species worldwide (Wilson and McKinley 2004). The extent of Gulf sturgeon marine distribution was from the northern portions of South America throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico to the Florida Keys (Vladykov and Greely 1963; Reynolds 1993). Present freshwater distribution of Gulf sturgeon appears limited to Gulf Coast river systems from the Mississippi River eastward to the Suwannee River, Florida (USFWS et al.1995). While current marine distribution patterns are less documented, they are also thought to reflect the historic range. Sampling of adult and juvenile Gulf sturgeon will be conducted in the fall in portions of the Choctawhatchee River at known concentration areas (Hightower et al. 2002). The timing and location of sampling will be conducted in such a way as to minimize potential interactions with other species in addition to maximizing the probability of successful collections. Both anchored and drift gillnets of varying mesh size will be used to collect a broad segment of the population likely to occupy estuarine and marine waters. Based on methods developed in 2009, captured Gulf sturgeon will be placed in a live well and their conditioned monitored prior to surgery. Fish deemed healthy enough will be anesthetized using a minimal edose of tricaine methane sulfonate (MS-222), measured for length, weight. Reproductive stage will be noted if determinable and a gonad sample taken as described in Fox et al. (2000). Each individual will also be injected with Oxytetracycline (10 mg/kg) with a sterile syringe into the dorsal fin sinuses as a prophylactic measure (Fox et al. 2000). A small tissue sample will be removed and preserved in 95% ETOH for genetic population analysis. All sturgeon collected will be examined for the presence of both internal and external tags; those not previously tagged will be injected with a PIT tag at the base of the dorsal fin and a FLOY tag will be inserted into each pectoral. PIT tags will be 134 Khz to comply with the NMFS standardized Sampling Protocol for Gulf sturgeon.The government knows of only one source Dr. Dewayne Fox that can provide the services required for this project. This project requires the comparison with previously collected data and samples that are the propriety data of Dr. Fox. Specifically, Gulf sturgeon were tracked in Choctawhatchee between 1997 and 1999: results from that study indicated that Gulf sturgeon were distributed nonrandomly in nearshore areas 2-4m deep in habitat predominated by sand substrate, crustaceans and annelids (Fox et al., 2002). Prey was not a limiting factor in determining the Gulf sturgeon activity area. These propriety data are the property of Dr. Fox and are only available to the Dr. Fox and provide the baseline essential to determine changes to the environment as well as Gulf sturgeon movement patterns over time. While the study results were published the raw data are only available to the investigator. Without those unique and original data, a comparison between historic and current conditions cannot be performed. Those propriety data collected during 2009 (both through the remote receivers and the manual tracking) are also only available to Dr. Fox as they have not yet been published and are in his possession. Interested parties shall provide information to include, at a minimum, name, telephone number and address of concerns for which you have furnished this type of services previously, and detailed narrative that described your ability to provide this specialized service. Interested parties must respond within (10) ten days after publication of this notice. The government knows of only one source. The government invites firms that believe they have the capability to meet the requirement to response, providing specific information that will enable the government to determine whether or not to compete the requirement. Faxed information can be sent to 816-274-6983 or physically sent Department of Commerce, Attn: Sharon Walker, 601 E. 12th St, Room 1756, Kansas City, MO 64106. Email responses can be sent to Sharon.walker@noaa.gov. After results of this market research are obtained and analyzed, NOAA may conduct a competitive procurement and subsequently award a Purchase Order. If at least two qualified small businesses are identified during this market research stage, then any competitive procurement that resulted would be conducted as a small business set-aside.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/CASC/NFFN5300-10-18327SLW/listing.html)
- Record
- SN02220375-W 20100730/100728235032-dbb8cbd846ae32ac25b3c8d0b7cdc10b (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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