A -- special study

The U. S. Department of Commerce/National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration/NESDIS, intends to negotiate with NOVA Southeastern University, of Fort Lauderdale, FL. for the continuation of Services of the Coral Extension, Density, and Calcification Records from the Florida Keys and Caribbean Sea: Calibration of proxy records from coral skeletons to paleoclimatic data. Massive corals growing in South Florida, Florida Keys, and wider Caribbean have been cored and these cores are archived for future use. Over 144 cores have been collected as part of coring expeditions throughout the Keys and South Florida. These cores have been catalogued by collection data and location. Cores have been collected which contain records of growth and environmental conditions dating by to 1694. Growth data can be measured by a process of optical densitometry of X-radiographs which provides direct measurement of skeletal bulk-density, linear extension rates, and the determination of calcification rates. The intent is for the University to continue the collection and analysis of coral skeletal growth data to coordinate the comparison of geochemical and growth chronologies. Priorities of the work period will be to complete the collection of extension, density and calcification data from the 300+ year coral and to initiate such work on other specimens. The University will collect up to three additional cores from multi-century old corals from Broward County in June 2007 to corroborate in the influence of Everglades freshwater discharge discovered in the existing original cores. Growth and geochemical data will be analyzed and compared using the CoralXDS+ program. The purpose of the work will be to demonstrate: 1) Multiple corals are capable of recording a common growth response to stress over a background of natural variability. 2) Growth response of Southeast Florida corals correlates to environmental stress conditions (including salinity from increased correlation between growth rate and environmental stressor. 4) Recent correlations between growth and environment can be used to assess multi-century growth records for prior occurrence and frequency. Deliverables will include three new multi-century cores from Broward County, Southeast Florida. Extension, density, and calcification data from among the following target sites: 1) Broward County 2) Puerto Rico 3) Dry Tortugas 4) US Virgin Islands 4) Key Largo/Crocker Reef SST/SSS record (finalize record) This procurement is being conducted per FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures (NTE$100K) NAIC code 611310. Interested persons may identify their interest and must demonstrate their capability in order to be considered for this opportunity. This is not a request for Competitive proposal. No competitive solicitation is planned, information submitted in response to this notice will be used solely to determine whether or not to open up to competitive procedures. Note 22 applies