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 (spring
zooplankton and nekton in PWS)
The Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) is seeking proposals to conduct echointegration surveys of spring zooplankton and nekton in Prince William Sound (PWS) during April-May of 2000. We anticipate staging surveys out of Cordova, Alaska, lasting from 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 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) and Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation (PWSAC). ADF&G and PWSAC will provide for vessel charter and biological sampling of the acoustic targets. The selected contractor will provide, install, and operate all scientific echosounding equipment on board the vessel for estimation of zooplankton and nekton densities. Scientific acoustic equipment should consist of: 1) a current model echosounder, operating at 42-120 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 teams of 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 and PWSAC scientists to identify and convert acoustic targets into density and biomass quantities. The selected 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. The awardee will provide an electronic copy of the 2d arrays of acoustic data from survey transects in ASCII file format. The final report and data file will be due on the July 30 following the survey.
As part of the collaborative agreement between OSRI, PWSAC and ADF&G, the selected contractor is required to make copies of the final report and data set available to PWSAC and ADF&G on July 30, 2000. Preliminary reporting to ADF&G and PWSAC will be made at the earliest possible convenience after the survey.
The design will use all available aerial, vessel and historical information on the distribution of zooplankton and salmon fry to reduce size of the survey to a reasonable area. Where salmon fry concentrations are found, a temporal series of acoustic surveys will be conducted with repetition (Kirsch and Thomas 2000). The vessel chartered will support operations of a two-frequency scientific echosounding system. On each survey as many near-parallel acoustic transects will be made as possible in the area that covers a known concentration of outmigrating salmon fry. After the fish are repeatedly surveyed, a coordinated effort will be made with ADF&G and PWSAC to target known concentrations of the fish monitored for biological information. Every large concentration of zooplankton or nekton needs to be directly sampled by visual or other means 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. The deadline for proposals is January 7, 2000 and proposals must be received by the deadline to be considered.
Specific criteria that will be used to evaluate proposals include:
Contractors 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.
Zooplankton/nekton survey schedule:
December 15, 1999 - Solicitations issued
January 7, 2000 - Final Day for Submission of Proposals
January 14, 2000 - Award Contract
January-March 2000 - Presurvey logistics (calibration and field trials)
April 17, 2000 - Install equipment
April 20, 2000 - Begin acoustic surveys
July 1, 2000 - All biological data available from ADF&G and PWSAC
August 2000 - Draft final report and data file due December 2000 Final report as a 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
The OSRI director, OSRI technology coordinator, individual peer reviewers and/or a review panel will evaluate proposals. Additionally, the Scientific and Technical Committee will review all large proposals. 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 10, 1999