143011-24-0090 - Statement of Need (DRAFT).pdf

STATEMENT OF NEED

NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement

MOBILE MARINE MONITORING (M3) SYSTEMS

Requisition Number: 143011-24-0090

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) enforces laws that protect and conserve our nation's living marine resources and their natural habitat.

OLE Special Agents and Enforcement Officers are sworn law enforcement officers with specified authority to make arrests and enforce over forty (40) laws that help to conserve marine species.

OLE is charged with enforcing the Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule (50 CFR 224.105).

The purpose of this regulation is to prevent collisions between vessels and the critically endangered right whale. Under this regulation, ten (10) Seasonal Management Areas (SMAs) have been established along the East Coast in which vessels that meet certain criteria are limited to traveling to ten (10) knots or less. Some or all of these SMAs are in effect between January 1 to July 31 and from November 1 to December 31 of each calendar year.

Purpose:

NMFS, Office of Law Enforcement has a requirement for two (2) ProtectedSeas Mobile Marine Monitor Systems and Annual Software Support.

Background:

Two Mobile Marine Monitoring Systems are being requested by OLE to effectively carry out its mission to recover all protected species of whales, most notably the North Atlantic Right Whale by enforcing existing laws that prevent vessel strikes. OLE will use the Mobile Marine Monitoring Systems to remotely observe vessel speed inside eight (8) out of ten (10) SMAs.

SMA boundaries of these eight (8) begin seaward of U.S. collision regulation boundaries, while the remaining two (2) are entirely surrounded by open ocean and unlikely to be within the range of the procured unit.

OLE acquired a ProtectedSeas Mobile Marine Monitor (M2) through Contract Number:

1333LF22PNFFK0020 awarded to Anthropocene Institute LLC (Marine Monitor LLC/ ProtectedSeas) in FY22. OLE requires two (2) additional M2 radar units to expand its current North Atlantic right whale speed capabilities along the Atlantic coast. It is important to keep consistency with the M2/M3 units to increase savings on licensing and training requirements.

OLE staff is currently trained on the deployment and operation of the mobile M2/M3 units and injecting another platform will only create confusion and inconsistencies in deployment and operation. The M2/M3 radar units are also capable of operating in conjunction with UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) which will allow the M2/M3 radar units to send the UAV to positional waypoints within its radar range to investigate possible targets and send imagery back to the user expanding the M2/M3 radar unit’s capabilities. The use of UAVs has been widely discussed within OLE to enhance our enforcement efforts and the M2/M3 platform will provide that opportunity while maintaining consistency and operation cohesion. The mobility of the M2/M3 radar unit allows OLE to quickly deploy the unit at any location with minimal manpower to support our enforcement efforts throughout the Northeast and Southeast Divisions.

Requirements:

The Contractor shall provide the following:

● Two Mobile Marine Monitoring Systems to include:

o A portable and highly mobile system that is self-contained, secure while deployed, and towable to multiple locations on the East coast.

o The system will need to have its own power supply (solar and batteries) for deployment in remote areas.

o The system will have Starlink to increase connectivity.

o The system will need its own data plan (Starlink – Regional Plan) so it can be accessed remotely.

o The system will need a have an effective radar range of no less than seven (7) nautical miles off shore, with a greater distance being more ideal.

o The system will need a computer system and software package to allow remote monitoring and the ability to record data for investigations, case packages, and possibly presentation under the rules of evidence in court.

o The system will need a service plan for technical support and system updates for the duration of ownership.

o They system should be equipped with a Infiniti Electro-Optics STY-8M-53X camera system equipped with optical stabilization and electronic stabilization (EIS) to increase image quality and resolution.

o The manufacturer of the Mobile Radar Unit must have a unit that has been successfully field tested and currently in use in the marine coastal environment.

● Deployment and training support on the Mobile Marine Monitoring System at delivery location.

● Annual M2 Software Support including: software updates, tech support, and hosting;

and remote maintenance for 12 months after the acceptance of delivery and for four optional renewal years.

Technical Specifications:

● The Contractor shall provide the following hardware:

o Software must integrate with Digital Radar o Radar must have the ability to track multiple targets (vessels) simultaneously o Detect small vessels at a minimum of seven (7) nautical miles offshore.

o Configuration for remote management o Compact computer for software

● The Contractor shall provide the following software:

o User friendly, browser based for desktop or mobile devices o 24/7 real time tracking of vessel activity o Connected via a cloud based user interface o Able to record and playback vessel tracks o Able to customize areas of coverage and configure alarms o Ability to identify vessel as most current technology permits o Ability to work in conjunction with UAV platforms to increase effectiveness of operations.

● The Contractor shall provide the following other capabilities:

o Weather Station, with weather data transposed on monitoring screen o Camera

▪ Integrated pan-tilt camera-video camera

▪ Track and photograph multiple targets simultaneously

▪ Remote control and access of camera system

▪ Photo and video storage and management both locally and cloud

▪ Camera system must have at least 53X zoom capability.

● The Contractor shall provide the following housing:

o System needs to be housed in or as a trailer so it remains mobile and meets the following specifications:

▪ Weatherproof to rain, sleet, wind, sun and salty environment

▪ Support the telescoping mast

▪ Power must be self-contained

● solar power capacity

● backup battery storage

▪ Towable on standard U.S. highways by a non-commercial grade vehicle

▪ Trailer must be equipped with two independent telescoping masts.

▪ Trailer must be equipped with a spare tire and spare tire mount.

▪ Trailer must be equipped with a mounting point to attach Starlink.

Delivery Date:

Twelve weeks after the award of the contract.

Delivery Locations:

NOAA OLE NED NOAA OLE SED

55 Great Republic Drive 2234 South Hobson Ave Gloucester, MA 01930 Charleston, SC 29405

Period of Performance:

Base Period: Training mutually agreed upon once delivery is received and 12 months of M2 Software Support for the period of one year after starting upon acceptance of delivery.

Option Periods I-IV: Annual 12 month renewals of M2 Software Support for four optional years, with the first option starting one year after acceptance of delivery when the Base year expires, and subsequent years to follow.