A--3D Spatial & Temporal Monitoring of Dissolved O2 on the NJ Coast

Synopsis:Three-Dimensional Spatial and Temporal Monitoring of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) in New Jersey Coastal Waters Using Automated Underwater Vehicles The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Region 2, Office Acquisition Management (OAM) Cincinnati Procurement Operations Division (CPOD), intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 6.302-1 and 41 U.S.C. 253(c)(1), Rutgers University, Camden, NJ. The applicable NAICS code is 541710. The Office of Research and Development (ORD), EPA Region 2, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) have identified the need to continuously monitor dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations over a broad area for specific problem identification, diagnosis, coastal monitoring, and to generate data needed to meet the water quality assessment goals of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Obtaining this data for coastal areas as an essential need to support informed decision-making. From beach-going, tourism, and fishing to the luxury of beach-front living, the ecosystem services provided by the coastal environment are critical to the economy of the State. A significant threat to the sustainability of these services is reduced oxygen conditions, also known as hypoxia, which makes understanding its causes and extent important. The nature of the acquisition requires a contractor that possesses the unique capabilities to provide the instrumented, programmable Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) propelled by buoyancy adjustment with two-way communication that allows reprogramming the path while deployed during July, August, and September of 2011 and 2012, with an established data reduction and management system compatible with a NJDEP secure database. The supplier must have the ability to deploy and recover the AUV from Sandy Hook, NJ to Cape May, NJ during the designated period and have a working knowledge of the undersea characteristics of the coastal area. These unique capabilities are essential for contract performance because each is integral to EPA?s research and monitoring objectives for the New Jersey near-shore waters, developing transferable standard operating procedures, and supporting the Mid-Atlantic Regional Coastal Ocean Observation System. EPA has conducted market research to determine those firms that could conduct this specific research, and Rutgers University was identified as the only known firm that has developed the UAV system and piloted the tool during the summer of 2009. The experience has led to the supporting the NJDEP database and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Coastal Ocean Observation System. This also gives the university a unique understanding of the character of the near-shore characteristic and conditions. EPA believes that other UAVs may exist that can be modified to make these measurements, for example the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. The low dollar value and the cost of modification and shipment makes it very unlikely that others would bid.Work is to consist of the following:In this project, Rutgers shall obtain and mount an optical oxygen sensor (Optode) on one or more Slocum gliders. Rutgers shall adapt the existing data management system at COOL to include appropriate fields for DO and prepare for data release. This modification shall include the recognized goal to releasing the monitoring data to the public though an internet portal and the MARCOOS support. Rutgers shall provide, prepare, and deploy the gliders off the New Jersey coast to obtain a spatially and temporally intensive 3-dimensional map of water-column conditions. After consulting with EPA and NJDEP, Rutgers shall program the glider with the course along the coast. The deployments shall run along the New Jersey coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May and vary from 0.25 to 3.0 nautical miles from the coastline. Rutgers shall recover the glide at the end of each cruise. Rutgers shall undertake three deployments between July and September during the summers of 2011 and 2012. One deployment shall be during mid-August when previous monitoring activities identified low oxygen concentrations in New Jersey coastal waters. EPA anticipates the each deployment will last about three weeks, allowing one week between cruises for maintenance before the next deployment. Rutgers shall propose a route along the coast based on experience gained from a pilot deployment in near shore coastal waters during August and September 2009. EPA anticipates a zigzag pattern from north to south ranging from 0.25 nm and 3.0 nm from shore. Rutgers shall, as part of the glider preparation and mission planning, invite NJDEP and EPA personnel to participate in formal planning meetings. Rutgers shall provide full support for glider preparation, mission planning, and mission execution including all calibrations before each cruise. Before the first cruise, Rutgers shall prepare and submit to EPA for approval, a Quality Assurance Plan. The Quality Assurance plan must include an appended draft standard operating procedures. The plan must follow the structure and content provided by EPA. No environmental data may be collected without an approved Quality Assurance Plan. Rutgers shall program the glider to transmit data to COOL at each surfacing. Detection of hypoxia shall initiate a series of actions. Rutgers shall notify partners at NJDEP and EPA that the hypoxic zone has been detected and provide appropriate supporting data. The team shall jointly determine what actions shall be taken within the overall constraints of the trip. A possible response would be for the glider to be reprogrammed to more intensively monitor the area where hypoxia was detected. Decision-making resulting from observed hypoxia will primarily be the responsibility of NJDEP and EPA Region 2, however, expert advice from Rutgers will be critical in the decision-making process. This will provide specific information on the consistency, longevity, and spatial extent of the hypoxic area. EPA recognizes that lingering in a given area for and extensive period may shorten the length of that cruise. Upon the completion of each trip, Rutgers shall prepare graphically displays and submit the results to EPA and NJDEP. Rutgers shall review the data to assure that it meets the project Quality Assurance requirements, and post the data collected in a given cruise to the NJDEP data base within 30 days of each glider recovery. Method validation and verification shall be conducted using existing data collected through other Rutgers projects, EPA and NJDEP coastal monitoring efforts, or the collection of additional data. Deliverables: Within 2 weeks of award, Rutgers shall prepare and deliver a QA plan to the EPA project office for review. The QA plan must include a description of changes made to the COOL data management system to include the DO data elements. Before each cruise, Rutgers shall coordinate a meeting with EPA and NJDEP to establish the path. Once established, Rutgers shall program the glider with the path along the coast. During the July to September window in each summer, Rutgers shall launch the glider near Sandy Hook, NJ and recover the glider at the end of the cruise. Within 30 days of the recovery of the gliders Rutgers shall submit to EPA the complete data set that has undergone QA review. Rutgers shall post the data to the NJDEP and EPA data bases and update the SOP as necessary based on the lessons learned during the cruise No later than April 1, 2013, Rutgers shall prepare and submit a report to EPA describing the results of the data collection, the validation/verification of the results, and the final standard operating procedures. This is not a request for proposal. However, any firm believing itself capable of meeting EPA's requirement may submit technical documentation to establish the potential of complying with the specifications. Such documentation must be submitted to the point of contact within 15 days of the posting of this notice. A determination not to compete the proposed requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered only for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement or to proceed on a sole source basis. The applicable NAICS code is 541710. Please submit your request in writing to: US EPA, Samantha Fuchs at 26 W. Martin Luther King Dr, Cincinnati, OH, 45268 or fax your request to +1 (555) 000-0000, or email contact@example.gov. No telephone request will be honored. Additional Info: The Environmental Protection Agency Contracting Office Address: Cincinnati Procurement Operations Division 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive Cincinnati, OH 45268 Point of Contact(s): Samantha Fuchs, Contract Specialist, Phone: +1 (555) 000-0000, E-Mail: contact@example.gov