The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a purchase order to Hector J Ruiz Torres, conducting business as HJR Reefscaping, for $119,980 on September 25, 2026, under a Total Small Business set-aside. The awardee is a minority-owned, Hispanic American-owned sole proprietorship based in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico.
Performance occurs in Puerto Rico waters. The order calls for gathering essential life history information in cooperation with local fishing communities to enhance stock assessment for the Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Work includes deploying and retrieving commercial fishing gear to collect biological samples from reef fish species including snappers, groupers, grunts, and wrasses across north, west, and south region waters. The contractor provides all labor, equipment, and materials for up to 20 days of at-sea sampling using three to six commercial fishing vessels with captains and observers, coordinates field and laboratory observers, procures specialized equipment, trains personnel in sampling methodologies, develops data entry systems with quality assurance controls, and conducts monthly progress meetings with NOAA staff. Period of performance runs through December 31, 2029. The order originated from NOAA solicitation posted September 10, 2026, with quotations due September 18, 2026, evaluated on LPTA basis under NAICS 541690.