SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- Collection, analysis and reporting of endangered sturgeon
- Notice Date
- 5/3/2013
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- USGS OAG DENVER ACQUISITION BRANCHPO BOX 25046204 DENVER FEDERAL CENTERDENVERCO80225-0046US
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- G13PS00370
- Response Due
- 5/24/2013
- Archive Date
- 6/23/2013
- Point of Contact
- Mary Wilson
- E-Mail Address
-
bwilson@usgs.gov
(bwilson@usgs.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This Solicitation Notice is to announce the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a requirement for the collection, analysis and reporting of endangered sturgeon in accordance with the attached solicitation. The solicitation number is G13PS00370 and is being issued as a Request For Quote (RFQ). The policies contained in FAR Part 12, in conjunction with the policies and procedures for solicitation, evaluation and award prescribed in Part 13, as appropriate, shall be used for this acquisition. The associated NAICS code is 541712. A copy of this solicitation may be accessed by clicking on the FedConnect Link below, under Additional Info. All requirements for preparation, submission, and receipt of quotes contained in the solicitation shall be adhered to. Statement of work Pallid Sturgeon Use, Migrations and Spawning in the Milk River and Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam Background Federally endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) in the upper Missouri River basin have spawning access to the Yellowstone River, Missouri River downstream from Fort Peck Dam, and the Milk River. The Yellowstone River exhibits mostly natural hydrologic and thermal regimes, but upstream spawning migrations are interrupted by Intake Diversion Dam a passage barrier located about 113 km upstream. The Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam provides spawning access to 300+ km of free-flowing river habitat; however, this system is hydrologically and thermally altered due to regulated discharge and hypolimnetic releases from Fort Peck Dam. As a tributary to the Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam, the Milk River provides seasonal inputs of warm turbid water that enhance hydrologic and thermal conditions in the Missouri River (Braaten and others 2009). Enhanced environmental conditions resulting from Milk River inputs may improve suitability of the altered Missouri River for pallid sturgeon migrations and reproduction. During 2011 and 2012, the Yellowstone River and Missouri/Milk river systems were the focus of collaborative work between Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) and U. S. Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center (USGS) as studies examined river use, migrations, and reproduction of wild pallid sturgeon in the two river systems. Whereas the Yellowstone River is the primary center of pre-spawn migrations and spawning activity (Bramblett and White, 2001; Fuller and others, 2008; Braaten and others, in prep), the altered Missouri River below Fort Peck provides habitat suitable for spawning when environmental conditions are enhanced. Specifically, working under a USGS contract in FY2011, the MFWP determined that elevated flows from the Milk River in spring 2011 combined with releases of water from the Fort Peck spillway stimulated migrations and residency of several pallid sturgeon in the upper portions of the Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam and in the Milk River. High intensity use of the Missouri and Milk rivers by pallid sturgeon as observed during 2011 was unparalleled as earlier research indicated very limited use of these rivers during the spawning season. Furthermore, the first documentation of pallid sturgeon spawning in the upper Missouri River occurred during 2011 as MFWP collected a genetically confirmed wild-produced pallid sturgeon free embryo. This individual represented the first account of a genetically confirmed wild-produced pallid sturgeon in the entire Missouri River basin. Expanding on the 2011 work, research by MFWP in the Missouri/Milk river systems was continued during 2012 to determine if river use patterns, migration and spawning events observed in 2011 would be replicated under environmental conditions characteristic of the system in 2012. In contrast to 2011, limited use of the Missouri River below Fort Peck Dam by adult pallid sturgeon occurred in 2012 and no spawning was documented. Expanding on work conducted during 2011 and 2012, research activities for 2013 will focus on examining use, migrations, and potential spawning of pallid sturgeon in the Missouri/Milk river systems below Fort Peck Dam. In addition, this work will be highly complementary to 2013 USGS-MFWP research activities on the Yellowstone River as complete coverage of the Yellowstone/Missouri river hydrosystem will provide an holistic assessment of pallid sturgeon migrations, spawning events, and verification/quantification of successful incubation, hatch, and drift of free embryos and larvae. Contactor Tasks. The Contractor shall: 1. assess adult pallid sturgeon reproductive state, migrations, and use of the Milk River and Missouri River between Fort Peck Dam and the Yellowstone River confluence, 2. verify and quantify reproductive products (eggs, free embryos, larvae) in the Milk River and in potential spawning reaches of the Missouri River downstream from Fort Peck Dam, and 3. assess and quantify settlement of pallid sturgeon larvae from the drift based on collections of young-of-year pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River. Task Approaches. 1. Assess adult pallid sturgeon reproductive state, migrations, and use of the Milk River and Missouri River between Fort Peck Dam and the Yellowstone River confluence, As part of past and ongoing research activities conducted by MFWP and USGS, a research population of wild adult male and female pallid sturgeon (50+ individuals) is currently implanted with radio and sonic transmitters. Female reproductive status is either known or suspected based on past reproductive events; however, individuals will be assessed during April/May 2013 to confirm reproductive readiness. In addition to reproductively assessing individuals, radio transmitters will be replaced in those individuals that carry an expired/expiring transmitter. Migrations into and use of the Milk River and Missouri River downstream from Fort Peck Dam by the research population of transmitted pallid sturgeon shall be assessed from early May through July using a combination of manual tracking and automated logging from ground-based telemetry stations positioned in the Milk River and at several locations in the Missouri River. Reproductive stage shall be assessed (via blood samples, gonad samples) as individuals enter, reside, and exit the two river systems. A change in reproductive state (for example, female loss of weight, body cavity void of eggs, blood-hormones indicative of post-reproductive levels) will provide an indication of pallid sturgeon spawning. 2. Verify and quantify reproductive products (eggs, free embryos, larvae) in the Milk River and in potential spawning reaches of the Missouri River downstream from Fort Peck Dam Sampling for free embryos and larvae shall be conducted in the lower Milk River and Missouri River near Wolf Point following methods outlined in Braaten and others (2010). Sampling will be conducted at least two times per week at multiple replicate locations using paired rectangular frame nets (0.75 m width, 0.50-m height, 1.0-mm mesh) deployed to the river bed. Nets will be fitted with a flow meter to estimate velocity and volume of water sampled. Additional sampling locations will be targeted for intensive sampling if aggregations of pallid sturgeon are identified at a specific location. Sampling for free embryos and larvae shall commence no later than June 3 and persist through July 31. In the event that telemetered pallid sturgeon do not migrate into the Milk River or Missouri River, larval sampling will still be conducted in the Milk River and near Wolf Point as it is possible that non-telemetered pallid sturgeon may be spawning in either river. All acipenseriform free embryos and larvae collected shall be live-extracted from the detritus (Fuller et al. 2008) and preserved in 95% ethanol. Genetic testing of all acipenseriform free embryos and larvae shall be conducted to definitively identify specimens as pallid sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon or paddlefish. 3. Assess and quantify settlement of pallid sturgeon larvae from the drift based on collections of young-of-year pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River. Whereas telemetry coupled with gonad/hormone assessments and targeted sampling for pallid sturgeon free embryos will provide an indication of successful spawning in the Milk River or Missouri River, targeted sampling for young-of-year pallid sturgeon will provide an additional assessment of successful spawning. Targeted sampling for young-of-year pallid sturgeon will follow trawling methods outlined in Braaten and Fuller (2007). Multiple replicates at two sites (Missouri River upstream and downstream from the Yellowstone River confluence) shall be trawled at weekly intervals between mid-July and early September. Fin clips shall be obtained for Scaphirhynchus sp. collected, stored in 95% ethanol, and genetically processed to distinguish individuals as pallid sturgeon or shovelnose sturgeon. Pallid sturgeon positive samples from collections obtained in the Missouri River upstream from the Yellowstone River confluence will provide conclusive evidence of successful spawning events in the Missouri/Milk river systems. Young-of-year pallid sturgeon sampled from below the Yellowstone River confluence may contain a mix of progeny from spawning events in the Yellowstone River, Missouri River or Milk River. In either case, collections of a young-of-year pallid sturgeon will indicate sufficient riverine drift distance occurs between known or suspected spawning areas and settlement areas. Deliverables 1. All telemetry data shall be provided to the USGS in digital format as required by the Sturgeon Information Management System (SIMS). The USGS will provide the computers, software, and a differential GPS unit to facilitate digital acquisition of telemetry data. 2. Quarterly progress reports shall be prepared and provided to the USGS within 7 days after the end of the reporting period; the USGS will provide the report template. 3. A draft report detailing scope of effort, methods and results shall be submitted to the USGS by December 31, 2013. USGS will have 21 days to review the draft reports and provide comments to the contractor. This material will be included in the USGS 2013 annual report, of which the MFWP will be designated as co-athors. 4. A final report that synthesizes telemetry results, spawning activities, captures of free embryos and larvae, and young-of-year pallid sturgeon collections from 2011-2013 shall be submitted to the USGS by March 31, 2014. Additional publication in the scientific literature and dissemination of research results at scientific meetings is encouraged. All publications with USGS co-authorship shall be subjected to the USGS Fundamental Science Practices review process. Contractor Points of Contact. To be determined. USGS Technical Liaison. Dr. Patrick Braaten, Research Fish Biologist, USGS-CERC, Fort Peck Project Office, P.O. Box 165, Fort Peck, MT 59223; phone: 406/526-3253, email: pbraaten@usgs.gov Periods of Performance from date of award through December 31, 2013 1. Manual tracking and deployment of automated telemetry logging stations shall be initiated in June 2013 (after ice-out), and telemetry tasks must continue through July 31. 2. Sampling for reproductive products shall commence June 3, 2013 and continue through July 31, 2013. 3. Trawl sampling for young-of-year pallid sturgeon shall be initiated during the week of July 22, 2013, and weekly sampling of all sites shall continue through September 10, 2013. 4. The draft report of 2013 activities must be submitted to the USGS by December 31, 2013. 5. The draft report that synthesizes telemetry results, spawning activities, captures of free embryos and larvae, and collections of young-of-year pallid sturgeon from 2011-2013 shall be submitted to the USGS by March 31, 2014. References Braaten, P. J., and D. B. Fuller. 2007. Growth rates of young-of-year shovelnose sturgeon in the upper Missouri River. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 23: 506-515. Braaten, P. J., D. B. Fuller, and R. D. Lott. 2009. Spawning migrations and reproductive dynamics of paddlefish in the upper Missouri River basin, Montana and North Dakota. Pages 103 122 in C. P. Paukert and G. D. Scholten, editors. Paddlefish management, propagation, and conservation in the 21st century: building from 20 years of research and management. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 66, Bethesda, Maryland. Braaten, P. J., D. B. Fuller, R. D. Lott, M. P. Ruggles, and R. J. Holm. 2010. Spatial distribution of drifting pallid sturgeon larvae in the Missouri River inferred from two net designs and multiple sampling locations. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 30:1062-1074 Bramblett, R. G., and R. G. White. 2001. Habitat use and movements of pallid and shovelnose sturgeon in the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers in Montana and North Dakota. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 130:1006-1025. Fuller, D. B., M. Jaeger, and M. Webb. 2008. Spawning and associated movement patterns of pallid sturgeon in the lower Yellowstone River. Report submitted to the Western Area Power Administration, Upper Basin Pallid Sturgeon Work Group, and U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Fort Peck, Montana.
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