1. THE EFFORT SHALL FOCUS ON GROUND FISH BOTTOM-TRAWL DATA COLLECTED SYSTEMATICALLY OVER SEVERAL DECADES BY…

Public award description

1. THE EFFORT SHALL FOCUS ON GROUND FISH BOTTOM-TRAWL DATA COLLECTED SYSTEMATICALLY OVER SEVERAL DECADES BY THE SEFSC, PASCAGOULA LABORATORY, I.E. FISHERIES-INDEPENDENT SURVEYS. KEY FISH SPECIES SHALL BE SELECTED FOR EXAMINATION BASED ON ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL VALUE, AS WELL AS BEING CHOSEN TO INCLUDE GOOD REPRESENTATION OF TROPHIC LEVELS AND R-K STRATEGISTS. 2. SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL TRENDS OF THESE FISH SPECIES DISTRIBUTION SHALL BE EXAMINED IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS (E.G., HYPOXIA, HURRICANES), OCEANOGRAPHIC AND CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY AND HUMAN ACTIVITIES (FISHING PRESSURE). 3. THESE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS SHALL BE INTEGRATED USING GEOSPATIAL AND MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL MODELS TO ACCOUNT FOR COMBINED EFFECTS OF STATIC AND DYNAMIC EXPLANATORY VARIABLES ON FISH DISTRIBUTION. 4. THESE MODELS SHALL ALSO ACCOUNT FOR NON-LINEAR EFFECTS THE MOST PREVALENT TYPE OF ECOLOGICAL RESPONSE. SPECIALIZED CONSULTANTS MAY BE REQUIRED. DELIVERABLES: 1. INTERIM REPORT: ASSESSING THE PROGRESS IN DATA MINING (SATELLITE, BUOY AND SHIP SOURCES) AND DATA PROCESSING. 2. FINAL REPORT: IDENTIFYING THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS OF KEY FISH SPECIES DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTERIZING ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSES BASED ON SPATIAL AND MULTIVARIATE MODELS. IDENTIFYING PRIME HABITAT FOR KEY FISH SPECIES IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND EVALUATING HABITAT STABILITY. THIS REPORT WILL INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING THE SEFSC FISHERIES MONITORING PROGRAMS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE SHALL BE FROM OCTOBER 1, 2008 AND CONTINUE THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2009. ESTIMATED COST: $103,000. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION STENNIS SPACE CENTER RECOMMENDATION AND DETERMINATION TO SOLICIT FROM ONE SOURCE I RECOMMEND THAT NASA/STENNIS SPACE CENTER NEGOTIATE WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI UNDER THE MISSISSIPPI RESEARCH CONSORTIUM OF UNIVERSITIES ONLY FOR SERVICES TO CONDUCT A RESEARCH INVESTIGATION OF THE LIVING MARINE RESOURCES AS THEY RELATE TO OCEANOGRAPHIC FEATURES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS WITHIN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL INFORMATION NECESSARY TO ACCURATELY DESCRIBE THE TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DIRSTRIBUTION OF FISHERY RESOURCES FOR OPTIMUM MANAGEMENT. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THIS EFFORT IS $103,000.00 AND THE ESTIMATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE OR LEAD-TIME FOR DELIVERY IS ONE (1) YEAR. AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF PRIVATE COMPANIES, UNIVERSITIES, STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES CAPABLE OF CONDUCTING THIS IMPORTANT RESEARCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTED. THIS REVIEW, CONCLUDED THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST RESEARCH LABORATORY IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO PERFORM THIS CRITICAL RESEARCH IN THE MANNER RESPONSIVE TO THE CRITICAL TIME TABLE AND AT A COST LOWER THAN COULD BE ACQUIRED THROUGH OTHER MEANS. THIS RECOMMENDATION IS MADE FOR THE ACQUISITION OF SERVICES DETERMINED TO BE REASONABLY AVAILABLE FROM ONLY ONE SOURCE. COMPETITION IS IMPRACTICAL FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1. THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI S GULF COAST RESEARCH LABORATORY HAS DEVELOPED A UNIQUE RESEARCH CAPABILITY INVOLVING THE FISHERY RESOURCES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. GEO-SPATIAL MODELING OF OCEANOGRAPHIC FEATURES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ANOMALIES ARE FREQUENTLY EMPLOYED TO DESCRIBE CHANGES IN FISHERY DISTRIBUTIONS. THESE CAPABILITIES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THIS RESEARCH INITIATIVE. FURTHER, IN-HOUSE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MANY AND VARIOUS DATA BASES REQUIRED FOR THIS STUDY IS CRITICAL. 2. WORKING THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI RESEARCH CONSORTIUM, THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS) TEAM CAN ACQUIRE THIS WORK UNDER AN EXISTING COMPETITIVELY AWARDED CONTRACT VEHICLE USING A RATE STRUCTURE ALREADY APPROVED BY NASA UNDER PRIOR ASSIGNMENTS. THEIR PROPOSED APPROACH COMPLETELY ADDRESSES THE TASK WORK STATEMENT AND THE COST OF THIS EFFORT IS WHOLLY IN KEEPING OF AN ASSIGNMENT OF THIS COMPLEXITY AND MAGNITUDE. THIS RESEARCH EFFORT IS EXTREMELY