Department of Commerce, NOAA, 200 World Trade Center, Room 209, Norfolk, VA 23510-1624

B -- WEEKLY AERIAL SURVEYS TO COLLECT FISHING ACTIVITY AND MARINE MAMMAL PRESENCE SOL EASC 00-00072 POC W. L. Taylor, Contract Specialist (757) 441-6888, Lynne Phipps, Contracting Officer (757) 441-6881 WEB: EASC Home Page, www.easc.noaa.gov. E-MAIL: Contract Specialist, Willie.L.Taylor@noaa.gov. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), is issuing notice of intent to negotiate a sole source contract with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), to conduct areal surveys along the North Carolina coast to collect information on marine mammal abundance and distribution and identify fishing effort by gear type/area. The contractor shall safely conduct weekly aerial surveys between Cape Henry, Virginia, and the North Carolina / South Carolina border. Data shall be collected using prescribed format, in real-time with GPS. The University of North Carolina at Wilmington has been safely conducting aerial surveys in the Mid Atlantic for the past four years. The UNCW staff is experienced in marine mammal aerial survey methodology, including software, hardware, infrastructure and expertise to collect, download and distribute, in a prescribed format, the aerial survey data to meet the necessary requirements. The UNCW's location is also well suited for conducting aerial surveys of the North Carolina coast. The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is 41 USC 253(c)(1), Only One Responsible Source. Interested parties may identify their interest and must provide evidence of their capability to respond to the requirement. Any party interested in receiving a copy of the solicitation shall provide written notice to the Contracting Office. The solicitation document will be issued on or about February 29, 2000. Fax request to (757) 441-3786. Telephone requests will not be accepted. No contract award will be made on the basis of quotations received in response to this notice since this synopsis cannot be considered a Request for Quotation. This is a Simplified Acquisition with a value of less than $100,000. See notes 22 and 26. Posted 02/16/00 (W-SN426176). (0047)

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