U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Contracting and General Services, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503-6199

B -- OBTAIN DATA ON THE DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND SPECIES COMPOSITION OF FORAGE FISH AND SEABIRD FORAGING FLOCKS IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA, JULY 1 TO AUGUST 10, 1998. SOL 1448-70181-98-Q-092 DUE 062598 POC Contract Specialist, Karie L. Crow, (907) 786-3415 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intends to procure from Top Cover for Alaska, P.O. Box 879050, Wasilla, Alaska, 99687-9050, a contract for data and a report on the distribution, abundance, and species composition of forage fish schools and seabird foraging flocks and describe the habitat types where fish schools occur in Prince William Sound during July 1 to August 8, 1998. Data will be obtained from aerial surveys collected from a Cessna 185 equipped with floats flying at an altitude of 1,000 feet, for up to 160 hours. The same pilot and observer must fly all surveys and must be highly trained in identifying forage fish schools for consistency of existing data. Digital videographic data, which are capable of showing all fish schools within 20 feet of the surface, will be collected on at least one half of the transects. These transects must be randomly selected. The data will be used to improve the resolution of the spatial analyses of the visual data. Aircraft must have capability to hard-wire digital videographic equipment, including notebook computer, into electronic system. Aircraft must be modified to mount camera in window cutout. Data will be analyzed and a report will be written by August 30, 1998. See Numbered Note 22. (0160)

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