B -- NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

This is a special notice as the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), intends to negotiate a single source purchase order(PO) for services needed to accomplish tasks as a part of the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program and US Coral reef Task Force efforts to address unsustainable trade in coral reef species with the University of Houston, Houston, Texas under the authority of 41 U.S.C. 253c(1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1. This requirement will be procured in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 13, through Federal Acquisition Circular(FAC) 2005-11, using simplified acquisition procedures. The purpose of the resulting PO will allow for the collection and evaluation of data from coral farms in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, with emphasis on the species under mariculture and the methodologies used to collect, propagate and grow out corals for aquarium trade. A justification for other than full and open competition is on file. The reference number is NFFK0000-6-00339rlp.