Maintenance of North Atlantic Right Whale Sightings Database

The Eastern Region Acquisition Division (ERAD) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Norfolk, VA is issuing notice of intent to negotiate a sole source procurement with the University of Rhode Island, on behalf of the Protected Species Branch of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in Woods Hole, MA, to maintain and curate the North Atlantic Right Whale Sightings Database (NARWSD). The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is 41 USC 253 (c) (3), Industrial mobilization; engineering, developmental, or research capability. The NARWSD, which physically exists at the University of Rhode Island, is an invaluable scientific resource that fulfills a critical, high-priority research need of NMFS. The Sightings database contains records of thousands of sightings of right whales in the North Atlantic Ocean, as well as sightings of many other species of whales, dolphins, sea turtles, seals, and large fishes including some right whale historical records that go back as far as the 18th century. The University of Rhode Island houses and retains exclusive rights for the database since it was developed at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO). Effective implementation of the right whale Recovery Plan that was published by NMFS requires that this database be maintained in an active and readily accessible state, that any and all newly generated data be incorporated into the existing database, and that the necessary expertise to extract data and generate data products be readily available. This requirement shall include receiving, auditing, formatting, and entering data from all bonafide scientific contributors, providing data products to requestors, and providing a limited amount of analytic support to requestors. Tasks shall include the following: 1. Maintain the existing NARWSD in continuous active status 2. Continue incorporating all available newly-developed data 3. Continue expanded efforts to identify and incorporate other existing data 4. Conduct full quality-control procedures on all new data to ensure reliability and compatibility 5. Continue cross-referencing the database with the right whale photo-identification catalog database maintained and archived at the New England Aquarium to ensure maximum utility of both 6. Provide data, data products, and basic data analyses to NMFS/NEFSC and other cooperating/ requesting investigators and agencies 7. Conduct a variety of analyses with the goal of publishing results in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. The period of performance shall be from September 21, 2009 through September 20, 2010. Interested parties may identify their interest and must provide evidence of their capability to respond to the requirement not later than 3:00 p.m. on September 12, 2009. Interest and capability statements may be faxed to (757) 664-3656. Telephone requests will not be accepted. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. A determination by the Government to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.