SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- FIELD SAMPLING
- Notice Date
- 6/13/2008
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Central Region Acquisition Division, 601 East 12th Street, Room 1756, Kansas City, Missouri, 64106
- ZIP Code
- 64106
- Solicitation Number
- NFFN7600-8-36657SLW
- Response Due
- 6/23/2008
- Archive Date
- 6/24/2008
- Point of Contact
- Sharon L. Walker, Phone: (816)426-7470
- E-Mail Address
-
sharon.walker@noaa.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- The NMFS intends to award a contact (base and 4 option years) to Michael Kandrashoff to act as project field manager and principle sampler in a study of the prevalence of fish with abnormalities in the St. Lucie estuarine system and nearby reference sites. The following reasons are given for this selection. He has spent the past 12 years working on various aspects of the fish abnormalities in the St. Lucie estuarine system. He is familiar with both the St. Lucie estuarine system and the project. He has been serving as project field manager since 1996 on NOAA's St. Lucie Fish Health Project. Mr. Kandrashoff helped NOAA develop a detailed list of the types of externally visible abnormalities that occur in fish in South Florida. Mr. Kandrashoff helped NOAA develop a categorization scheme for these abnormalities that is applied in the field. He has a unique combination of skills that are needed for this project. He is extremely effective in catching fish and has a well trained "search image" for abnormalities. Mr. Kandrashoff can identify the species of the area and can recognize and categorize the full types of abnormalities found in fish of this area. He is thoroughly acquainted with the codes and categorization schemes used to record fish species and the various types of abnormalities used by NOAA in this project. He is familiar with the fish species of this area, their scientific names, their habits and habitats as related to their capture, and the various abnormalities that occur in the fish of this area. He is highly skilled at catching fish on rod and reel. He is well versed in the literature on abnormalities in fish and fish as indicators of environmental quality. He has been trained to collect and preserve skin, fin, and liver tissues for histopathological analyses. He has been working for over 10 years with NOAA in the project, which was extended and expanded with State funding beginning in 2000. Analysis of the database to date has shown distinct relationships between abnormalities and potential sources of variation, including especially species but also year, season, and area. The strong statistical relationships evident in the data attest to the quality of field screening and recording of data. He lives adjacent to the St. Lucie estuarine system and can conduct the project without any expenditure of time and funds for travel. The Government intends to continue the biological sampling component of a multi-year NOAA project being conducted with funding through the State of Florida in the St. Lucie Issue Team Initiative. It is critically important to the success of the multi-year project that collection of data be continued without interruption because missing data points affect the quality of the analysis. It is critically important to the success of the project to maintain continuity in methods and continue the sampling without interruption. Project objectives are to (1) quantify the most obvious sources of variation in the prevalence of abnormal fish (taxonomic, temporal, spatial, and type of abnormality), (2) standardize an index of prevalence for sources of variation that might confound the ability to discern trends, (3) determine trends over time, (4) compare the St. Lucie estuarine system to nearby reference areas, (5) characterize the abnormalities miscroscopically, (6) examine the relationship of prevalence to potential causal factors, and (7) develop performance measures for use in evaluating biological effects of regional and local restoration projects. The major objective of the field component of the St. Lucie project is to sample the fish of the St. Lucie estuarine system and a reference site to extend a multi-year database and facilitate statistical analyses. A second objective is to acquire tissue samples to allow microscopic analysis of the abnormalities. This announcement relates to maintaining a project field manager to act as project field manager. Duties are described below.. DESC: The required work will consist of the following: The provider shall act as field project manager and principal sampler and perform the following: (1) sampling fish with rod and reel (and other gear, as required) one full day (8 hr) per week (for a total of 3 sampling days per week) in each of three general areas: the outer St. Lucie estuary, the inner St. Lucie estuary (upstream from Hell's Gate), and Jupiter Inlet. The contractor shall screen the fish for externally visible abnormalities and record the following information for each fish caught: date, station, salinity, temperature, wind observations, observed dredging activity, species, length, number of abnormalities of each type (according to 17 recognized types established in previous work in the St. Lucie system), number of lesions by size for 3 size categories (<5 mm, 5-10 mm, and >10 mm), radius in 2 dimensions and extent of elevation or depression of the 3 largest skin lesions, proportion of the fin lost to fin erosion, and a narrative description of abnormalities, particularly with respect to the fin affected (i.e., pectoral, pelvic, caudal, anal) and position on the body (i.e., left or right side, dorsal or ventral of the lateral line or on it, and forward, mid, or rear part of the body). (2)The contractor shall assign to each abnormal fish a unique identifier in the form of a code that indicates capture date, capture location (station), species, and number. Fish should be numbered as they are caught. For representative samples (no more than 600), the contractor shall obtain samples of abnormal tissue and organ tissue, label (with unique identifier code) and ship the material as specifically instructed by the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative. The contractor shall enter the data from each sampling trip into a database (Quattro Pro), with a separate data file for each month and main region (i.e., outer St. Lucie, inner St. Lucie, Jupiter Inlet), and provide the three data files to NOAA/NMFS each month. (3)The contractor shall manage and coordinate a volunteer reporting program with charter-boat guides and recreational fishers. The contractor shall show the volunteers how to screen fish for externally visible abnormalities, how to recognize the 17 major categories of abnormalities seen in the St. Lucie system, how to record the data in the field, and how to enter the data in a database. Where necessary, the contractor shall provide the data entry. These data shall be maintained separately from the data acquired directly by the contractor to avoid loss of reliability in the contractor's data. Data obtained from each volunteer shall be identified with the name of the volunteer in each record. The contractor shall maintain regular contact with the volunteers to ensure consistency and timely acquisition of data. (4)The contractor shall provide the motorized boat, fuel, bait, gear, and ice required for sampling. (5)The contractor shall provide a freezer and maintain special samples in the freezer as required by the COTR. The anticipated performance base and four option period years. The proposed contract action is for service which the government intends to solicit and negotiate with only once source under the authority of FAR 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all proposals received within 10 calendar days after date of publication of this synopsis will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete with this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. All responsible sources may submit a proposal, which shall be considered by the agency. Interested firms shall include, in writing, the company name, address, point of contact, telephone number, and business size; a statement regarding their capabilities and qualifications, and any additional supporting literature. Submissions received in response to this notice shall be evaluated based on the technical ability and demonstrated past experience to meet the requirements described in the description section above. Information must be received no later than 10 calendars days after publication of this notice and may be mailed or faxed to: Sharon Walker at 816-274-6983 or Sharon.walker@noaa.gov Vendor must provide a DUNS number (http://www.dnb.com/us/ ) and register with the Central Contractors Registration (http://www.ccr.gov/ ) to further qualify for this contract. Include DUNS number on written quote. As specified in FAR 5.101 (a) (2) All interested firms may submit a response which, if received by the time specified above, will be considered by the agency.
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