B--AERIAL SURVEY & FISH FORAGE COLLECTION

This is a notice of intent to solicit from a single source for the USGS. The Alaska Science Center (ASC) has the need for forage fish data to continue long term monitoring time series in Prince William Sound, Alaska.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) intends to negotiate a purchase order with Prince William Sound Science Center to forage fish data to continue long term monitoring time series in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Prince William Sound Science Center is the only known source that has the required specifications that meets the government's minimum needs.

The USGS Alaska Science Center (ASC) Seabird and Forage Fish Program has been leading forage fish monitoring as part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long-term monitoring program in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska since 2012. The goals of the GWA forage fish monitoring project are to provide information on the population trends of forage species in the region and to better understand how underlying predator-prey interactions influence recovering species and pelagic ecology within PWS and the GOA. Field work includes aerial-directed fish school sampling from a vessel, capture of forage fish to verify species/age class, and deploying multiple gear types (e.g., purse seine, beach seine, gill net, underwater video, dip net, line and hook) to collect forage fish samples for estimation of structure, size distribution, and energy density. Maintaining these datasets is important to resource managers as these data provide some of the only information about interannual changes in key prey species for marine predators such as commercial fish, marine birds, and whales in the northern GOA.

The vendor will collect spawning capelin from Port Etches and Pacific sand lance from Middle Ground Shoal or Naked Island by deploying a variety of specialized fishing gear. Up to 200 samples of each species will be collected if possible and shipped frozen to the researchers at USGS Alaska Science Center who will then process the samples in the lab. Sampling of forage fish in Prince William Sound will be conducted between the date of award and July 31, 2025 and delivery of data and frozen samples will occur as soon as possible after they are collected and no later than August 31, 2025. Data continuity and performance date are required.

The vendor is uniquely qualified to conduct this work because personnel at the Prince William Sound Science Center have specific expertise in marine fish sampling and aerial validation. The vendor regularly conducts research in Prince William Sound in support of the Herring Research and Monitoring program and has developed aerial survey validation methods and fish sampling using a variety of fishing gear types.

Award will be made in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 13.106-1(b) and the procedures at FAR Part 12 entitled, Acquisition of Commercial Items and FAR Part 13 entitled, Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

The purpose of this notice is to satisfy the requirements of FAR Subpart 5.2. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotes. However, all responsible parties may submit a capability statement by the closing date of this announcement which shall be considered by the agency. No solicitation will be issued. A determination not to compete this action based upon responses received is in the sole discretion of the Government.

The NAICS code for this action is 541715, Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering and Life Sciences. Size standard 1,000.

Responses or inquiries shall only be accepted through electronic mail addressed to jongjoco@usgs.gov and must be uploaded and received in their entirety no later than 07/01/2025 at 0600 hours Pacific. Responses submitted by hardcopy or through SAM.gov shall not be accepted or considered.