SOLICITATION NOTICE
F -- Vessel Services
- Notice Date
- 9/9/2005
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Central Region Acquisition Division, 601 East 12th Street, Room 1756, Kansas City, MO, 64106
- ZIP Code
- 64106
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-NFFN7020500179SKT
- Response Due
- 9/19/2005
- Archive Date
- 10/4/2005
- Description
- The Northern Right Whale is among the most endangered large whales in the world with a population size of approximately 340 animals. Human activities including commercial fishing and shipping are a major threat to the survival of this species. There have been several right whale mortalities due to collisions with large vessels during the last three years. In 2004 alone there were three mortalities of pregnant female right whales that were likely associated with vessel strikes. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is currently developing a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of fatal collisions between right whales and vessel traffic along the U.S. Atlantic coast. While there have been several ship strike mortalities in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region between Georgia and New Jersey, there is relatively little information on the seasonal spatial distribution and abundance of right whales in this area. This critical gap in knowledge reduces NMFS? ability to develop strategies to mitigate vessel collisions. During FY2004 and FY2005, NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) conducted preliminary research to deploy passive acoustic monitoring buoys along the U.S. mid-Atlantic to document the seasonal presence of right whales in this area. Results from these studies indicated the presence of right whales in this area during the late winter and early spring and demonstrated the effectiveness of this tool for monitoring right whale habitat use. During the fall and winter of 2005-2006 NMFS/SEFSC is continuing this research project to use passive hydroacoustic buoys to monitor for the presence of the North Atlantic Right Whale in shallow continental shelf waters of the mid-Atlantic Bight. This contract will provide vessel support for the deployment and recovery of monitoring buoys. Description of Work This contract is for vessel services during the recovery and redeployment of 18 passive hydroacoustic buoys in the mid-Atlantic between Cape Fear, North Carolina and Savannah, GA. This mission will employ an oceanographic research vessel at least 65 feet in length. The contractor will provide vessel and operational support for the deployment and recovery of passive hydroacoustic buoys and associated mooring materials. The contractor will supply raw materials and construction of 18 mooring anchors and associated hardware. These anchors consist of scrap metal, chain, and various fasteners used to attach the buoy to the sea floor and prevent equipment loss due to wind and wave action. NMFS will provide acoustic monitoring buoys and technical support aboard the charter vessel to attach the buoys to the moorings, verify their performance, and assist in recovery and deployment. Due to shallow water, strong currents, and expected high wave action during the deployment of these buoys, it is necessary to deploy them with a significant (>300 lbs.) amount of anchoring material. Diver support is necessary to recover the buoys by manually releasing them from their moorings. The buoys will be deployed at locations designated by NMFS. We anticipate deploying three sets of three buoys each along an offshore-onshore transect crossing the bathymetry near Cape Fear, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. The first deployment will be of nine buoys during the later half of November, 2005. These buoys will be recovered during late-February, 2006 and another nine buoys will be deployed at the same locations. The final recovery operation of these buoys will occur during late April, 2006. Contract Deliverables The contractor will provide mooring materials and will assist in deployment and recovery of two sets of 9 passive acoustic monitoring buoys. Precise locations of the buoys at each deployment will be recorded so as to ensure recovery after a 3 month deployment period. The contractor will provide all vessel and logistic support required to achieve successful deployment and recovery of these buoys. Conditions of Purchase Order The contractor will be paid by invoice following the completion of each deployment/recovery mission period. The purchase order will pay for vessel time and operational expenses, staff expenses, expendable materials, and equipment costs. Assumption of Risk and Additional Costs The contractor will assume liability for additional unplanned operational costs incurred due to mechanical failures or weather conditions. The recovery and deployment operations should be planned during periods where there is a high expectation of weather conditions that will allow the successful recovery and/or deployment of the buoys. Evaluation of Potential Sources Potential sources for this contract will be evaluated on the following criteria: I. Operational capability and experience 1) Vessel capability: The vessel must be stationed in the U.S. Atlantic to minimize transit times between the home port and deployment locations. The vessel must be capable of multi-day offshore operations with a minimum operational range of 500 miles. Vessel size must be at least 65 feet in length and rated for offshore work in inclement weather and berthing space for at least 2 scientists beyond the crew and divers. The vessel must have GPS positioning equipment that will allow precise tracking of deployment locations to insure recovery of the buoys. Finally, the vessel must have winches allowing the deployment of anchoring material and buoys exceeding 400 pounds in weight. 2) Dive Recovery Operation Support: The contractor must be able to provide experienced divers that have the capability to dive in turbid waters at night to recover the buoys that are attached to the sea floor. The vessel must have experience and capability to safely support these dive operations. 3) Moorings: The contractor must be able to provide scrap metal, chain, and other required materials and construct appropriate moorings that will reduce the probability of losing moored buoys due to wave action. 4) Availability: The timing of deployment and recovery missions is critical to match both the timing of the right whale migration and the operational lifetime of the moored buoys. The vessel must be available for missions during mid- to late November 2005, mid-February 2006, and mid- to late April 2006. The vessel schedule should be flexible enough to allow alternative dates (within the same general time frame) to account for variable weather conditions. 5) Experience Deploying and Recovering Moored Equipment: The contractor must demonstrate a history of successful operations to deploy anchored oceanographic equipment and successfully recovering that equipment after long deployments (> 60 days) in the shallow continental shelf waters of the U.S. Atlantic. The NOAA Central Region Acquisitions Division requires that all contractors doing business with this office be registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). No award can be made to a company not 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, all offerors must have a Dun & Bradstreet Number. A Dun & Bradstreet number may be acquired free of charge by contacting Dun & Bradstreet on-line at https://www.dnb.com/product/eupdate/requestOptions.html or by phone at (800) 333-0505. Any firm interested in this requirement is encouraged to respond to this announcement within 10 calendar days after its publication.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
- Zip Code: 64106
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 64106
- Record
- SN00891138-W 20050911/050909211827 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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