SOURCES SOUGHT
B -- Pacific Billfish and Tuna Biological and Stock Assessment Support
- Notice Date
- 7/16/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Western Acquisition Division - Boulder, 325 Broadway - MC3, Boulder, Colorado, 80305-3328, United States
- ZIP Code
- 80305-3328
- Solicitation Number
- NFFR7000-16-03321SRG
- Archive Date
- 7/21/2016
- Point of Contact
- Suzanne A Romberg-Garrett, Phone: 303-497-5110
- E-Mail Address
-
suzanne.garrett@noaa.gov
(suzanne.garrett@noaa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION - NFFR7000-16-03321SRG PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR CERTIFICATIONS SHOWING PAST EXPERIENCE FOR THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH, YOUR DUNN AND BRADSTREET NUMBER, BUSINESS SIZE, CONTACT EMAIL, NAME, PHONE, COMPANY NAME. STATEMENT OF WORK Project Title: Pacific Billfish and Tuna Biological and Stock Assessment Support Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive La Jolla, CA 92037 Base Period: September 15, 2016-September 14, 2017 Option Year 1: September 15, 2017-September 14, 2018 Overview The contractor should be an established billfish scientist and will conduct life history and fisheries research in support of North Pacific billfish stock assessments. The research is organized into two collaborative research projects. Project 1 will focus on the estimation of life history parameters and collection of size data for key billfish species (Pacific blue marlin, North Pacific striped marlin, sailfish, and wahoo), as well as tissue samples from Pacific bluefin tuna, caught in Taiwanese longline and set net fisheries. The size data will be merged with existing logbook and observer data from Taiwanese longline and set net fisheries to estimate fishery-specific size-at-catch frequency distributions for input into stock assessments. The tissue samples will be processed for genetic markers. Project 2 will be a comparative study between fleets harvesting North Pacific swordfish in the Pacific Ocean. The research projects, associated tasks and budget are specified in greater detail below. 1. Collaborative Life History Parameter Estimation and Genetic Identification This has been a collaborative project between scientists from NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), National Research Institute for Far Seas Fisheries (NRIFSF), National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU), National Taiwan University (NTU), Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU) and Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). The goal of the project is to collect size-at-catch data and biological samples from Pacific blue marlin, North Pacific striped marlin, sailfish, wahoo, and Pacific bluefin tuna landed in Taiwan to support the completion of billfish stock assessments in the Pacific Ocean and tuna genetic identification. North Pacific swordfish and striped marlin stock assessments are scheduled for 2017 and 2018, respectively. The Pacific Bluefin tuna genetics data will provide information on stock structure and abundance estimates. Collaborators will include Kotaro Yokawa (NRIFSF), (SWFSC), (PIFSC), (NTOU), (NTU) and (IATTC). Other collaborators may be identified as the research proceeds. The contractor will conduct size-at-catch sampling of Pacific blue marlin, North Pacific striped marlin, sailfish and wahoo, as well as the collection of Pacific Bluefin tuna tissue samples, landed by Taiwanese longline fleets and set net fisheries at major billfish and tuna ports in Taiwan. Hard parts (e.g., fin ray spines) and reproductive material (gonads) will also be collected from landed blue marlin, striped marlin, sailfish and wahoo to facilitate the estimation of life history parameters, including age and growth and age-at-maturity. To the extent possible size-at-catch data will be combined with Taiwanese logbook and observer data to develop fishery-specific size-at-catch frequency distributions. Estimated life history parameters will be combined with existing data to reduce uncertainty in existing age-length keys and maturity ogives. Pacific Bluefin tuna tissue samples will be collected and processed for genetic markers. The genetic marker data will be combined with similar data from other fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean targeting Pacific Bluefin tuna to assess trans-Pacific movement rates and stock structure, as well as requisite data to develop estimates of abundance. 2. Collaborative North Pacific Swordfish Size and CPUE Fleet Comparisons This is a collaborative project between scientists from SWFSC, NRIFSF, and IATTC. The goal is to conduct fleet specific comparative studies on swordfish size-at-catch data and relative abundance estimates to support completion of a North Pacific swordfish stock assessment in July 2017. Research results will be presented at the Intercessional meeting of the International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) Billfish Working Group workshops tentatively scheduled for January and April 2015. Collaborators will include (NRIFSF), (SWFSC), and (IATTC). Other collaborators may be identified as the research proceeds. The contractor will assist with the compilation of all available catch, effort and size-at-catch data. Datasets will include (1) Japanese longline data from logbooks, (2) length frequency data from Japanese research and training vessels, (3) Hawaii longline data from logbooks and associated length frequency data, (4) Taiwan longline data from logbooks and associated length frequency data, and (5) other longline fleets as necessary. The contractor will conduct comparative analyses to determine fleet specific differences and assess the feasibility of substitution of data between fleets. These analyses, combined with fleet-specific fisheries operational data, will also be used to estimate selectivity patterns between fleets, and incorporated into the 2017 North Pacific swordfish stock assessment. Deliverables All work will be completed at the contractor's institution. An initial meeting with collaborators to discuss data availability and port sampling design will be convened shortly after the start of the contract. Monthly progress will be discussed with the Agency Contact and collaborators via conference calls. Quarterly progress reports will be submitted to the Agency Contact during the contract period and progress reports presented at intercessional ISC Billfish Working Group and Pacific Bluefin Tuna Workshops. A final report will be presented at the July 2017 ISC Billfish and Pacific Bluefin Tuna Working Group Workshops at the conclusion of the project. Quarterly reports should include spatiotemporal biological sampling statistics, as well as size-at-catch frequency plots for sampled billfish and tuna. Additionally, quarterly reports should describe progress on the (1) estimation of life history parameters, (2) processing of Pacific bluefin tuna tissue samples, (3) compilation of available North Pacific swordfish catch statistics from fisheries operating in the North Pacific Ocean, and (4) comparative analyses to determine specific differences between fisheries. The final report should define Pacific Bluefin stock structure and movement rates, results of the Pacific Bluefin tuna genetic analyses, final species specific size-at-catch frequency plots, and final estimates of life history parameters for billfish and tuna. Evaluation criteria Choice of contractor will be based on five criteria: (1) Cost to complete the work; (2) Qualifications of the contractor. At least 15 years of experience conducting billfish or tuna biological research to support stock assessments, 10 years of experience collecting biological samples at Taiwanese fishing ports and experience conducting research through a collaborative approach (additional consideration would be given to vendors whose collaborations included scientists from Japan, China and Taiwan; (3) Experience conducting similar biological research on billfish or tuna stocks, additional consideration would be given to vendors conducting this research in Taiwan; (4) Acessability to logbook and observer data housed at Taiwan's Overseas Fisheries Development Council (OFDC) and (5) Acessability to landing ports and laboratory facilities to process and analyze biological samples. Invoicing will be Monthly in equal amounts in arrears.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/MASC/NFFR7000-16-03321SRG/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, LaJolla, California, 92037, United States
- Zip Code: 92037
- Zip Code: 92037
- Record
- SN04185346-W 20160718/160716233036-201ddd28da30b5767f6bb10601479508 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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