C-- NOTICE OF INTENT TO NEGOTIATE A SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT General Information Document Type: Special Notice Solicitiation Number: SWFSC-106 Posted Date: Jan 20, 2009 Original Response Date: Mar 13, 2009 Current Response Date: Mar 13, 2009 Classification Code: F - Natural resources & conservation services NAICS Code: 924120 -- Administration of Conservation Programs Document Type: Special Notice Contracting Office Address National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS/SWFSC). 3333 North Torrey Pines Court, La Jolla, Ca, 92037 REQUIREMENTS OF FAR 5.201-(b)(1)(ii) THE PROPOSED CONTRACT ACTION IS FOR SUPPLIES OR SERVICES FOR WHICH THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO SOLICIT AND NEGOTIATE WITH ONLY ONE SOURCE UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 6.302. INTERESTED PERSONS MAY IDENTIFY THEIR INTEREST AND CAPABILITY TO RESPOND TO THE REQUIREMENTS OR SUBMIT PROPOSALS. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS, HOWEVER, ALL PROPOSALS RECEIVED WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS WILL BE CONSIDERED BY THE GOVERNMENT. THIS IS A SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION. THE (NMFS) ACQUISITION DIVISION REQUIRES THAT ALL CONTRACTORS DOING BUSINESS WITH THIS ACQUISITION OFFICE BE REGISTERED WITH THE CENTRAL CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION (CCR) AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2003. AFTER THIS DATE, NO AWARD CAN BE MADE UNLESS THE VENDOR IS REGISTERED IN CCR. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER IN CCR PLEASE ACCESS THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.CCR.GOV. IN ORDER TO REGISTER WITH THE CCR AND TO BE ELIGBLE TO RECEIVE AN AWARD FROM THIS ACQUISITION OFFICE, ALL OFFERORS MUST HAVE A DUN & BRADSTREET NUMBER. A DUN& BRADSTREET NUMBER MAY BE ACQUIRED BY CONTRACTING DUN & BRADSTREET ON-LINE AT WWW.DNB.COM/EUPDATE OR BY PHONE AT (800) 333-0505. ALL CONTRACTORS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ONLINE REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATION AT HTTP://ORCA.BPN.GOV. Point of Contact Pamela G Jones, Purchasing Agent, Phone (858) 546-7009, Fax (858) 546-7004, Email:
[email protected] STATEMENT OF WORK Background Beaked whales of the family Ziphiidae are perhaps the least known of marine mammals. Rarely sighted at sea, several species are known only from dead stranded specimens. Recent mass strandings of beaked whales in several areas, including the northern Bahamas (Balcomb & Claridge 2001) have correlated with international naval operations, raising concern that beaked whales may be particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic noise. As such, information on the basic population ecology of beaked whales is necessary to understand and mitigate the effects of such activities. However, ecological studies of beaked whales are logistically difficult due to the challenges of reliably detecting beaked whales at sea. The deep waters around the Bahama Islands are one of the few areas where beaked whales are known to regularly occur close to shore. The Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation (BMMRO) has been conducting field studies of beaked whales in the northern Bahamas since 1991, primarily around Great Abaco Island. This effort has resulted in more than 300 encounters with beaked whales, comprising both Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) and Blainville's beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris). Using randomized boat transects and established photographic identification methods, individual whales have been re- identified and followed over multiple years. This unique dataset provides unprecedented individual-based information on the ecology of living beaked whales (e.g., site fidelity, social organization, habitat selection). Satellite telemetry has been shown to provide high resolution data on marine mammal movement patterns, and great progress has been made in addressing both practical and technological challenges of deploying tags on cetaceans. In particular, recent advances in component miniaturization and battery construction have allowed production of tags that are extremely small and can be remotely deployed using projectile devices fired from crossbows or pneumatic rifles (Andrews /et al./ 2005). This allows movement data to be obtained without the need for physical capture and restraint, and with negligible physical impact or behavioral disturbance. These "dart-tags" were first deployed on killer whales (Andrews /et al./ 2008), documenting movements of more than 1800 km (Durban /et al./ submitted), and tag longevity of up to 90 days (Durban, unpublished data). More recently these tags have been deployed on a variety of cetacean species, including gray whales (Durban, unpublished data), sperm whales, medium-sized odontocetes and beaked whale (http://www.cascadiaresearch.org/robin/satellite.htm). We propose to deploy dart-tags on beaked whales, sperm whales, and other medium-sized cetaceans, including pilot whales, false killer whales and melon-headed whales. Tags will be deployed by John Durban from the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and a long-term collaborator of BMMRO who has worked on beaked whale studies in the Bahamas for the past 13 years, and who has deployed dart tags on cetaceans since their first development. The 23' RHIB will be piloted for close tagging approaches by Diane Claridge (BMMRO), who has conducted small-boat studies of beaked whales in the Bahamas for the past 17 years. 2. Schedule/Performance Period The research activity will be conducted between 1 April 2009 and 20 September 2009. For cost estimate purposes, it is estimated that approximately 480 hours are required to fulfill the requirements of this contract. 3. Scope of Work The first component of work the Contractor will perform relates to preparation, field efforts and analysis of satellite tagging data for beaked whales. Specific activities include: • Prepare for beaked whale satellite tag deployment in the Great Bahama Canyon • Deploy tags on beaked whales in the Bahamas to assess possible reactions to Navy sonar • Analysis of tag data Deliverables All deliverables shall be completed by due dates and specifications assigned to specific tasks as outlined below: 1. By 19 April 2009, prepare for field efforts to tag beaked whales. 2. By 4 June 2009, complete efforts to deploy 30 satellite tags. 3. By 18 September 2009, after the tags have stopped transmitting, provide to the PRD Director the analysis and final report of movement data gathered by tags. 4. Project Location The base of operations for the contracted activities will be the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, WA with field efforts in the Bahamas. 5. Personnel Requirements Personnel Classification: Research Fishery Biologist Estimated Hours Needed to Complete this Work: 480 Duration: 6 months, 1 April 2009 to 30 September 2009 6. Equipment The Government shall furnish the Contractor with equipment necessary to complete all written work products and data analyses under this contract. 7. Time/Transportation/Travel Travel costs are not anticipated. ADMINISTRATION ITEMS 1. Contracting Officer's Representative Jeremy D. Rusin is appointed as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) under this task order. Please refer to section G.1, Contracting Officer's Technical Representative, paragraph (1) for the COR's responsibilities and limitations. Jeremy Rusin may be contacted at 858-546-7101. 2. Invoice Submission Each invoice should be noted with the Contractor's name and address, Contract number, period of performance dates, description of work completed, and original signature, from the Contractor, and dated.