Attach 01 Statement of Work.pdf

Performance Work Statement Analysis to Support National Marine Sanctuary Management

1. BACKGROUND:

NOAA’s Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary (CBNMS) and Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS) require data analysis, summarization, and delivery of data products to assist with a) condition report developmen and b) ship strike management efforts for CBNMS and GFNMS.

2. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: Perform analysis of data from the Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies (ACCESS) project, to support the condition report and ship strike risk reduction management options evaluation. Produce materials including maps, figures, tables, and reports.

Develop an encounter model, input data, and analyze results. Technical point of contact will facilitate provision of ACCESS data from Point Blue Conservation Science and Automated Identification System (AIS) data from NOAA.

3. TASKS

Base Year

a. Provide figures and tables for CBNMS condition report

b. Compile whale and AIS data for ship strike reduction analysis and prepare it for input in to an encounter model. The encounter model to be developed and used (in Option Year

1) will be as in:

a. Martin J, Sabatier Q, Gowan TA, Giraud C, Gurarie E and others (2016) A quantitative framework for investigating risk of deadly collisions between marine wildlife and boats. Methods Ecol Evol 7: 42−50;

b. Rockwood RC, Calambokidis J, Jahncke J (2017) High mortality of blue, humpback and fin whales from modeling of vessel collisions on the U.S. West Coast suggests population impacts and insufficient protection. PLOS ONE 12: e0183052; and

c. Rockwood RC, Adams J, Silber G, Jahncke J (2020) Estimating effectiveness of speed reduction measures for decreasing whale-strike mortality in a high-risk region. Endang Species Res 43:145-166. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01056) to assess risk reduction of ship strikes under multiple management scenarios.

Option Year 1 (subject to the availability of funding)

a. Create maps of distribution and abundance of blue, fin, and humpback whales in CBNMS and GFNMS from observation data from 2014-2019.

b. Complete ship strike reduction analysis for three potential management scenarios being considered. Build and run models (as in the publications listed above), analyze output, create tables and graphics, write report, create presentation, and deliver results and products. Management scenarios are:

a. Alternative management action 1: No change to configuration of San Francisco Bay traffic separation scheme (TSS) lanes. Voluntary vessel speed reduction to 10 https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12447 https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12447 https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12447 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183052 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183052 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0183052 https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01056 kts for all vessels 300 gross tonnes or more, year round and sanctuary wide, within CBNMS and GFNMS (sanctuaries).

b. Alternative management action 2: Reconfigure the north and west TSS lanes and extend to western boundaries of the sanctuaries. Voluntary vessel speed reduction to 10 kts for all vessels 300 gross tonnes or more, within the TSS lanes, year round.

c. Alternative management action 3: Remove the north TSS lane and reconfigure the west lane and extend to western boundary of GFNMS. Voluntary vessel speed reduction to 10 kts for all vessels 300 gross tonnes or more, within the TSS lanes, year round.

3. DELIVERABLES: The contractor shall provide the following deliverables:

Base Year

Deliverable Due Date Condition Report Analysis

(a)

Analyze ACCESS data for status and trends for the CBNMS condition report. This includes data for the following data indicators for a 10-20 year time period: nutrients, nutrient temperature relationship, phytoplankton, harmful-algal bloom producing phytoplankton, oceanographic metrics (sea surface temperature, basin scale indices such as Southern Oscillation Index, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and North Pacific Gyre Oscillation), ocean acidification, dissolve oxygen, zooplankton, seabird abundance, distribution, and diversity, marine mammals abundance and distribution, and marine debris from within CBNMS and surrounding areas. Data will need to be selected for sites within CBNMS as available.

October 15, 2021

(b) Figures developed that illustrate trends over time for each data indicator listed above identified by CBNMS (1 figure per data indicator).

October 30, 2021

(c)

Final figures and accompanying summary text completed. Figures must comply with accessibility standards and best practices as identified by the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

November 15, 2021

(d) Review draft condition report sections provided by CBNMS that contain the products developed above and provide edits and modifications.

February 28, 2022

(e) Review final condition report sections provided by CBNMS that contain the products developed above and provide edits and modifications.

March 30, 2022

Ship Strike Risk Assessment

(f)

Prepare data for model processing: Compile multi-year (2012-2017) ACCESS data for blue whales, fin whales, and humpback whales (species, locations, abundance) into .csv files so they can be used in a modeling evaluation of the risk reduction of ship strikes to whales under three possible future management scenarios of modified shipping traffic locations or ship speed defined as described above.

Compile multi-year whale data from NOAA that includes abundance and distribution, habitat hotspots, or predicted use of areas covering the full extent of CBNMS and GFNMS. Compile multi-year (2012-2019) vessel Automated Identification System (AIS) data for vessels transiting GFNMS and CBNMS to assess distance traveled, speed, and other metrics. Prepare shape files of vessel traffic with associated speed and vessel data. Technical point of contact will facilitate acquisition of fine scale (1 km2

– 5 km2) AIS data from NOAA or partners. Prepare ACCESS and whale data as .csv files and AIS data as shape files to import to an encounter model to assess the year round risk reduction of potential management actions in CBNMS and GFNMS to reduce ship strikes.

July 30, 2022

Option year 1

Condition Report Analysis

(g)

Create draft maps of the distribution and abundance of blue, fin, and humpback whales in GFNMS and CBNMS using observation data from ACCESS and Southeast Farallon Island Spotter Pro data sets, 2014-2019, and accompanying explanatory text.

Provide one map for each species. Submit to GFNMS and CBNMS for review.

September 30, 2022

(h)

Incorporate input and create final maps of the distribution and abundance of blue, fin, and humpback whales using observation data from ACCESS, and Southeast Farallon Island Spotter Pro

October 15, 2022 data sets, 2014-2019, and accompanying explanatory text.

Ship Strike Risk Assessment

(i)

Build an encounter model and process the data prepared in (f) as used in Rockwood et al 2017 and 2020 using R or other similar software to output year round risk reduction of ship strikes of up to three potential management actions (e.g., spatial speed zones and lane changes) in CBNMS and GFNMS and create model output. Use up to three different levels of vessel cooperation levels with the management scenarios (e.g., 65, 75, 85%) determined in consultation with technical point of contact to evaluate the risk reduction of scenarios and cooperation levels. Output will include a table of the percentage risk reduction to the three species of whales for the three management scenarios at three cooperation levels. Provide project update and preliminary results.

October 30, 2022

(j)

Develop figures and summary text of analysis of risk reduction for sanctuary-wide, year-round vessel slow down. Figures should include a map of the potential management scenarios, maps of whale distributions and abundances, and tables and figures that illustrate the risk reduction of each management scenario, for each whale species. Results should clearly show the estimated reduction in risk of potential management action. Provide presentation of results to sanctuary staff and interpret findings.

Provide reports in Microsoft Word and PDF formats.

Provide presentation in PowerPoint.

November 30, 2022

(k) Present final results and report to sanctuary staff.

Provide reports in Microsoft Word and PDF formats.

Provide presentation in PowerPoint.

December 15, 2022

4. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Base item September 20, 2021 – September 19, 2022

Optional items September 20, 2022 – September 19, 2023

5. IT SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

A. The Certification and Accreditation (C&A) requirements of 48 CFR 1352.239-73 do not apply, and a Security Accreditation Package is not required.

B. The contractor will not be accessing US government computers or IT systems for this effort.

C. The contractor will not be accessing any information that is not within the public domain for this effort.

D. The contractor will not be processing, transmitting or storing privileged access information (i.e., non-public) in carrying out the tasks of this contract

6. Invoicing Invoices will be paid per the deliverables below.

Base Year Deliverable Proportion of total amount A - B 25% C-E 25% F 50%

Option Year 1 Deliverable Proportion of total amount G-H 5% J-K 80%

7. TECHNICAL AND INVOICING POINT OF CONTACT

Danielle Lipski

CBNMS

1 Bear Valley Rd.

Point Reyes, CA 94956 805-975-5414 Danielle.lipski@noaa.gov