Description
Notice of intent to negotiate a sole source contract with Susan Trivelpiece for NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service located in La Jolla, CA. The purpose of proposed contract is: BACKGROUND The Antarctic Marine Living Resources Convention Act of 1984 (Title III of Pub.L. 98-623, 16 U.S.C. 2431 et seq.) Provides the legislative authority necessary to implement, with respect to the United States, the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program. The AMLR Program, which is managed by the Antarctic Ecosystem Research Group (AERG) at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), provides information to the U.S. delegation to the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), part of the Antarctic treaty system. CCAMLR is an international treaty between 23 nations that seeks to manage Antarctic fisheries with the goal of preserving species diversity and stability of the entire Antarctic marine ecosystem. In keeping with this objective, CCAMLR has designated areas of research that member nations are obligated to pursue. The AMLR Program has identified specific data sets that must be collected to respond to CCAMLR’s research directives. In doing so, the AMLR Program supports the U.S. Government’s commitment to CCAMLR. In 1996/97, the AMLR Program, in cooperation with the NSF, began providing logistical support for the NSF field camp at Admiralty Bay, King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Within the vicinity of this study area, the AMLR program has a large-area survey grid. The NSF field camp and study area are adjacent to an area where reproductive success and feeding ecology of breeding penguins have been monitored since 1976. Overall Program Objectives The NSF/AMLR cooperative program monitors a suite of predators, primarily penguins at the Copacabana field site and formulates management advice to CCAMLR. In addition, the Program conducts field research designed to describe the functional relationships between krill (Euphausia superba), their predators, and key environmental variables. Specific Study Objectives The objectives of the research covered by this contract include the following: (1) to initiate and direct the seabird research and assist the PI with collecting standardized data related to penguin and seabird reproduction, growth, abundance and distribution, and survival; (2) to participate in the data analysis and preparation of papers for scientific journals and for a WG-EMM workshop meeting in July 2007 and; (3) to prepare for the 2007-08 field season, including handling all ordering of supplies and the SIP and Polar Ice reports. Tasks 1. Seabird Research at Admiralty Bay: The Contractor will direct the collection of penguin reproductive, growth, abundance and distribution, and survival data. Specifically, she will establish the reproductive studies at the beginning of the season, train the other field biologists in the study methods, and will oversee all aspects of the study during the field season. 2. Post-season Data Analysis: The Contractor will analyze data on penguin reproductive success, abundance and distribution, survival and foraging behavior collected at the Copa field site in the 2006/07 year and submit these data to the CCAMLR database in summary form. 3. Meetings: The contractor shall participate in the EMM workshop in July 2007, lending her expertise of the Copa database to modeling efforts of predators at the meeting. 4. Pre season Logistics: The Contractor, based upon her prior experience at this remote field site, will oversee the procurement of the materials, equipment, and supplies needed to run the camp for the 2007-08 field season. These tasks can only be accomplished with prior , first hand knowledge of the research site, Susan Trivelpiece has directed the predator studies at the site since its inception in 1976 therefore is uniquely qualified to complete the tasks specified by this contract. Questions concerning proposed contract may be submitted to Melvin N. Fondue. This is a simplified acquisition with an estimated value of less than $100,000