B -- Notice of intent to negotiate a sole source contract.

The contract involves a sole source negotiation with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) to support the National Marine Fisheries Service/Auke Bay Lab in conducting stock identification analysis of Bering Sea sockeye salmon. The contractor’s main task is to provide stock composition estimates for juvenile sockeye salmon samples collected during the 2002 cruises of the Japanese research vessel Kaiyu Maru and the ABL’s BASIS cruise. The ADF&G is uniquely positioned for this contract as it holds unpublished baseline genetic data critical for the analysis, specifically from Western Alaska and the Russian Far East. This genetic baseline includes sixteen microsatellite DNA loci and single nucleotide polymorphisms for cytochrome b haplotypes, which are essential for the accurate identification and evaluation of the sockeye salmon stocks. This procurement is classified as a simplified acquisition with an estimated value under $100,000, indicating a relatively small-scale project focused on specialized scientific and genetic research. The contract is managed through the Department of Commerce in Seattle, Washington, and supports ongoing ocean carrying capacity and fisheries research efforts critical to the management and conservation of sockeye salmon populations in the Bering Sea region.