Request for Proposals
Predictive Ecology Program of the
Prince William Sound
Oil Spill Recovery Institute
Deadline for receipt of applications: January 7, 2000
Request for Proposals – Biological Monitoring (Herring
and Pollock in PWS)
The Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) is seeking proposals to conduct echointegration surveys of herring and Pollock biomass in Prince William Sound (PWS) during February-March of 2000. OSRI anticipates staging two surveys out of Cordova, Alaska, with each survey lasting one to two weeks in duration. Precise dates will depend upon weather and fish behavior. The maximum amount of funding for this contract is $60,000.
Professional services sought through this RFP include the survey prelogistics (design, equipment preparation, etc.), data acquisition, data analysis, and reporting of acoustic results. Data acquisition and analysis will require coordination with Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). ADF&G personnel are responsible for vessel charter and biological sampling of the acoustic targets. The selected contractor will provide, install, and operate all scientific echosounding necessary for estimation of Pollock and herring biomass equipment onboard a vessel provided by ADF&G. Scientific acoustic equipment should consist of: 1) a current model echosounder, operating at 38-120 kHz simultaneously with a GPS receiver for the collection of time-linked, geographic-coded acoustic data, 2) a transducer mounted in a downward-looking configuration within a towed body, 3) all necessary computer equipment and software to acquire and process data. Additionally, cooperation with other researchers and technologists that OSRI might employ is deemed essential.
After the completion of field data collection the selected contractor will work with ADF&G to identify and convert acoustic data into fish density and biomass (length frequency, length-weight relationships, species composition, etc.). The contractor will prepare a preliminary and final report detailing the acoustic survey methods, the analysis of acoustic signals and the estimated biomass present in the survey area. An electronic copy of the 2d arrays of acoustic data from survey transects in ASCII file format is also a requirement. The final report and data file will be due on the July 30 following the survey.
As part of the collaborative agreement between OSRI and ADF&G, the selected contractor is required to make copies of the final report and data set available to ADF&G on July 30th. Preliminary reporting to ADF&G will be made at the earliest possible convenience after the survey. This information will be used by ADF&G for fisheries management.
The design will use all available aerial, vessel and historical information on the distribution of fish to reduce size of the survey to a reasonable area. Where fish concentrations are found, repeated nighttime surveys will be conducted over their concentrations until enough “good” repetitions are made to reduce the influence of truncation (Thomas et al. 1997). On each survey as many near-parallel acoustic transects should be made as possible in the area that covers a known concentration of fish. After the fish are repeatedly surveyed, a coordinated effort will be made with ADF&G to target known concentrations of the fish monitored for biological information. Every large concentration of fish must be sampled effectively with nets to insure accuracy of the survey information.
Prospective contractors interested in submitting proposals should direct technical questions and project proposals to the OSRI staff (Gary Thomas, Walter Cox or Nancy Bird) at P.O. Box 705, Cordova AK 99574, (907) 424-5800. Proposals should contain the name and address of the firm; name, address, phone and fax numbers of the contact person for the proposal; a comprehensive description of the equipment and procedures to be used; as well as a brief description of the qualification of the firm and key personnel. Experience of key personnel is critical. The deadline for proposals is January 7, 2000 and proposals must be received by the deadline to be considered. Contractors wishing to submit a proposal are advised that qualification and capabilities will be considered in the evaluation process. Specific criteria that will be used to evaluate proposals include:
Proposers that anticipate problems with meeting the following timeline for the project, or that are inflexible with the delays that might be caused by inclement weather should address these concerns in their proposal.
Pollock survey schedule:
December 15, 1999 -Solicitations issued
January 7, 2000 -Final Day for Submission of Proposals
January 14, 2000 -Award Contract
January 2000 -Presurvey logistics (calibration and field trials)
February 17, 2000 -Install equipment
February 20, 2000 -Begin acoustic survey (approximately two weeks)
April 1, 2000 -All biological data available from ADF&G
July 2000 -Draft final report and data file due
December 2000 -Final report as a manuscript submitted for publication
Herring survey schedule:
December 15, 1999 -Solicitations issued
January 7, 2000 -Final Day for Submission of Proposals
January 14, 2000 -Award Contract
January 2000 -Presurvey logistics (calibration and field trials)
March 17, 2000 -Install equipment
March 20, 2000 -Begin acoustic survey (approximately two weeks)
June 1, 2000 -All biological data available from ADF&G
July 2000 -Draft final report and data file due
December 2000 -Final report as manuscript submitted for publication
Application Process
Interested candidates must submit an OSRI grant application package. This application may be obtained as a downloadable file from the OSRI web page (http://www.pwssc.gen.ak.us/~osri) or from the OSRI by calling (907) 424-5800.
The original and three copies of the proposal, including the copy bearing the signed cover page, should be mailed to:
Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute
P.O. Box 705
Cordova, AK 99574
Proposals must be submitted in hard copy form. Proposals will not be accepted by FAX or electronically and must be postmarked by the due date.
Proposal Evaluation
Proposals will be evaluated by the OSRI director, OSRI technology coordinator, individual peer reviewers and/or a review panel. All large proposals will also be reviewed by the Scientific and Technical Committee. The evaluation criteria differ based on the type of project. In general, the proposals will be evaluated by how well they meet the needs of the RFP, and fill existing research or technology gaps. Experience of the team members will also be looked at. For more information, refer to the OSRI Grant Policy Manual, Section 4.4.1, which can be found on the OSRI web page.
Awards
Proposals, due by January 7, 2000, will be evaluated by the method described above, and the awards will be made by January 14, 2000. Awards made as a result of this competition will be administered in accordance with the terms and conditions of the OSRI Grant Policy Manual.
Additional Information
OSRI provides awards for research in the sciences, engineering and technology as well as educational programs. The awardee is wholly responsible for the conduct of such programs, research and preparation of the results for publication. OSRI, therefore, does not assume responsibility for the research findings, their interpretation or implementation of programs.
OSRI welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and educators and strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to compete fully in any of the research related programs described here. In accordance with federal statutes, regulations, and OSRI policies, no person on grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from the OSRI.
Further administrative questions may be addressed to OSRI by e-mail (frontdes@pwssc.gen.ak.us) or by contacting Nancy Bird at (907) 424-5800.
Date this BAA was posted: December 15, 1999