NOTICE OF INTENT TO NEGOTIATE A SOLE-SOURCE CONTRACT National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) hereby gives public notice of the intent to negotiate a sole-source contract pursuant to the authority of Federal Acquisition Requirements (FAR): FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) and 41 USC 3304(a)(1) establishes authority for the government to seek services from The Whale Museum. The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) of NOAA provides scientific and technical support to NOAA Fisheries for the management, conservation, and wise use of the northwest region's marine and anadromous resources. The Marine Mammal and Seabird Ecology Team is responsible for research on the ecology, distribution, abundance, and threats to marine mammal and seabird species in the NW, primarily endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. For over 15 years, The Whale Museum, the incumbent contractor, has maintained long-term data sets on the location of killer whales, primarily in the inland waters of Washington and southern British Columbia and information about the number and types of vessels in close proximity to the whales. Whale location data enables assessment of intra and inter-annual movement and habitat use patterns. The Museum's Sound watch Boater Education Program conducts on-water boater education, and collects, compiles and analyzes data, and prepares reports on vessel activities around killer whales. Vessel data assists with management of endangered Southern Resident killer whales including evaluation of the number and types of vessels that are potentially affected by whale watching guidelines within the Haro Strait Region of Washington State and Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and the impacts of vessel activities on the recovery of the Southern Residents. PURPOSE: The Government is determining whether there are other additional sources that are capable of performing the same functions as the incumbent contractor. The Government is looking for a vendor that can perform all of the following tasks: (1) collect, compile and archive all sighting data of killer whales, particularly Southern Residents, from all available data sources throughout the entire contract; (2) maintain a centralized database of these data that is compatible with and includes previously collected data and is formatted for Geographical Geographic Information System (GIS) analyses; (3) conduct on-water boater education and vessel data collection; (4) conduct vessel-based behavioral surveys of killer whales and vessels; (5) maintain five (5) sites in the SeaSound hydrophone network and deploy additional sites as feasible, (6) develop outreach/education exhibits/programs; and (7) review available long-term data sets on killer whale sightings, vessel activities and ambient/antbropogenic sound around killer whales to conduct trend analyses for the purposes of generating data trends reports suitable for publication. TASK REQUIREMENTS: Task 1: Killer whale sighting database The vendor will compile all killer whale detection data (sightings and acoustic detections) and available data from other cetacean species from inland and coastal waters of Washington (WA), Oregon (OR), and California (CA) each year. Southern Resident killer whale sightings should also include, to the extent possible, sightings/detections in British Columbia and the outer coast of WA/OR/CA. Data collected should have the same variables as previously collected data to include date, time, descriptive location, latitude/longitude, fishery area, direction, count, pod/subpod, comments, and information source. The vendor shall follow-up on reports with incomplete or questionable information. The vendor will enlist the support of outside sources, as needed, for the collection and compilation of killer and other whale sighting data. The vendor will provide an estimate of costs to provide support to outside data sources, for staff time costs to compile, error check data, and provide an annual report. Task 2: Soundwatch Vessel Education and Monitoring Program The vendor shall provide on-water education to boaters and monitor vessel activity and compliance with existing guidelines and regulations. Program shall be conducted to support Be Whale Wise guidelines, State, and Federal regulations. As part of the Soundwatch program, additional hours of vessel monitoring and outreach specific to kayaks and the K.E.L.P. program will be conducted as directed in some years. Data collection on vessels, including kayaks, and kayak education complements the current Be Whale Wise campaign. The vendor will assist with additional outreach to boaters and regional boating communities about best practices operating vessels around marine mammals, utilizing new vessel regulations and updated Be Whale Wise materials. Vendor will provide a target of 50 total days on-the water monitoring and education days with the option to provide fewer or additional days on a daily or half day rate basis based on funding levels. For the kayak component, the vendor will provide a target of 40 days outreach, 10 days guide/naturalist training, 20 days data collection for monitoring and compliance, with the option to provide fewer or additional days on a daily or half day rate basis based on funding level. Task 3: Description of vessel activities around Southern Resident killer whales a. The vendor shall report seasonal and yearly trends in vessel activities around the whales for specific year(s) identified by the NWFSC. Reports will include historic and current data in a format consistent with previous reporting. Data will be collected according to standardized protocols to allow for comparison between years. The vendor will provide an estimate of the time to compile, error check data, and provide an annual report. b. The vendor will collect data on kayakers in proximity to Southern Resident killer whales and other killer whales along the Westside of San Juan Island. Data will be collected according to existing program protocols to allow for comparison between years. The vendor will provide an estimate of the time to compile, error check data, and provide an annual report. Task 4: Support for field studies on foraging, noise and health a. Use various methodologies as directed to support studies on killer whale foraging, health and effects of noise including data and sample collection, suction-cup attached tags that will be deployed by pole from a small boat, and noise level monitoring. b. Surveys shall be conducted using an integrated equipment package which includes a global positioning system (GPS) with built-in data collector to record attribute data (e.g. whale identification, group size, and behaviors), a laser rangefinder to determine distance, and a compass for bearing. These components shall be physically/electronically connected and synchronized to generate geo-referenced data for focal whales and vessels. Two integrated equipment packages should be used to collect data simultaneously, with the first package dedicated to collecting data from killer whales and the second package dedicated to collecting data from vessels in the vicinity of the killer whales. c. Characterize the behavior of killer whales with varying levels of vessel traffic over a range of geographic areas. Behaviors should be recorded and categorized according to published behavioral states of killer whales. 1. Detailed group behavioral data, including behavior state and spatial structure, shall be collected from groups of focal animals representing the range of age-classes present (e.g. adult females, adult males, calves, juveniles, etc.). 2. Identify focal animals from existing photo identification databases so that behavioral responses of different pods can be compared. d. Collect data on vessel characteristics and behavior simultaneously with the collection of killer whale behavioral data during varying levels of vessel traffic and over several geographic regions. Also characterize the number of vessels present, types of vessels present, distance between killer whales and vessels, and vessel activity. e. Collect data to assess whether vessel operators are more, less, or equally compliant with current voluntary whale watching boating guidelines, State, and Federal regulations in the presence of monitoring and/or enforcement vessels, and whether certain vessel types and/or vessel operators are more/less often in violation of particular guidelines. f. Collect data on the vessel type and exact distance between the vessel and the tagged whale. Vendor will provide cost estimate for all tasks above as a labor rate comparable to GS-level wage scale for 1) field data collection and 2) post-processing and analysis. Task 5: Hydrophone monitoring network Repair and maintain the existing hydrophone site at Lime Kiln Lighthouse and expand to new sites. In consultation with the NWFSC, expand the network with additional hydrophone sites. Maintain and improve upon the automated detection, localization, classification, and notification system which provides near real-time alerts via email and/or text message. Expand system to include an app for using mobile devices like iPhones or Androids to listen live (e.g. at sites like Lime Kiln) and/or report human detections of killer whale locations (e.g. upon hearing sounds on the live streams or sighting orcas). Vendor will provide estimates for time and materials for repair, maintenance, and expansion on a per node basis. Vendor to estimate travel costs associated with establishment, maintenance, and repair of hydrophone nodes. Task 6: Acoustic Outreach program Maintain the hydrophone outreach infrastructure and update existing exhibit and web content (including use of web cameras), develop acoustic outreach programs for killer whales, including interactive exhibits, listening station software, and web-based tools. The outreach programs will complement existing information, hydrophones, and infrastructure at The Whale Museum, Lime Kiln Point State Park, and at educational facilities associated with future hydrophone sites. Expand acoustic outreach programs to include Lime Kiln Lighthouse and other nodes where appropriate. Messages and signage for acoustic programs will be consistent with information in the Recovery Plan for Southern Resident killer whales and other NOAA outreach materials. Vendor will provide estimates for time and materials for periodic maintenance and updating of outreach exhibits and programs. Task 7: Multi-year data compilation Periodically the vendor will compile historic killer whale sightings, vessel activities and ambient/anthropogenic sound around Southern Resident killer whales and shall report trends and spatial patterns for specific year(s) and parameters consistent with previous reporting. Vendor will provide estimates for time and materials for analysis and report preparation. FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) and 41 USC 3304(a)(1) establishes authority for the government to seek services from The Whale Museum to maintain the killer whale database. Responses to this notice must be provided within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of this notice. Vendors who believe they can meet this requirement are required to submit in writing an affirmative response demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the requirements. All written responses must include proof of possessing permits and a written narrative statement of capability, including detailed technical information demonstrating their ability to meet the requirement. The response must be sufficient to permit agency analysis to establish a bona fide capability to meet the requirement. Failure to submit such documentation will result in the Government proceeding as previously stated. A determination by the Government not to open the requirement to competition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Affirmative written responses must be received no later than 2:30 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, August 23, 2023. The responses must be submitted via e-mail to Jamie Abu Shakrah, Contract Specialist, at [email protected].