Attachment 1- Statement of Work.pdf

v4.2_FEBRUARY2025

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

Marine Mammal Surveys

1.0 Background

The Southern California Tactical Training Range (SCTTR) encompasses a broad area extending over 200 miles south from the northern end of San Clemente Island (SCI), west beyond Cortez Bank, and southeast into the international waters off the northern Baja California coast. Within these boundaries, off the western shore of SCI, lies the Southern California Antisubmarine Warfare Range (SOAR). Located in the San Nicolas basin, the range consists of 178 bottom-mounted hydrophones designed to track underwater vehicles. The range covers an area of over 600 nmi2 in water that ranges from approximately 1,200 to 2,000 m in depth. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport’s (NUWCDIVNPT’s) Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges (M3R) program installed a system in 2006 that utilizes the SOAR hydrophones to detect, classify, localize, and monitor marine mammals in real-time using passive acoustics. M3R personnel use the system to locate marine mammal species of interest and direct on-water researchers accordingly. The M3R program works in collaboration with an on-water research team(s) to conduct various field tests and collect a variety of types of data in support of the US Navy’s Integrated Comprehensive Monitoring Program (ICMP).

The Government requires that on-water surveys be conducted at SOAR which combine the following types of data collection: behavioral data, photo-identification, and potentially biopsy, tagging, eDNA, fecal samples, Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) imagery, or other types of data collection deemed appropriate. The surveys will focus on Cuvier’s or goose-beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), and any other species of interest as required by the ICMP. A combination of the real-time M3R tools and visual surveys on SOAR can help meet the Navy’s need to conduct effective marine mammal monitoring as part of the ICMP. The Navy also has a need to continue long-term demographic studies within SCTTR to assess population status of various species.

This work will satisfy the regulatory need to discern the behavioral responses of beaked whales, fin whales and other species to Navy Mid Frequency Active (MFA) sonar. Individual responses to real Navy sound sources, as recorded by satellite tags such as the Sound Motion and Recording Tag (SMRT), will inform Navy Take Estimates, a key aspect of NOAA/NMFS regulatory requirements. Satellite tag data collected by the contractor can be reviewed and compared against Government provided sonar data to estimate received levels on tagged whales and interpret any possible response.

1.1 Places of Performance

San Clemente Island, Southern California

1.2 Authorized Users

Code 70: Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department

1.3 Sponsors

Commander, Pacific Fleet, N46

1.4 Types of Funding

Operations and Maintenance, Navy (O&MN).

2.0 Scope

Vessel surveys shall be conducted on the SOAR range in coordination with M3R in order to locate, identify, photograph, biopsy, tag, collect behavioral data, eDNA, fecal samples, and/or Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) drone footage or other types of data on goose-beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) and other species of interest as required by the ICMP program. The contractor shall be responsible for providing a vessel and all related equipment suitable for photographing, tagging, biopsy, UAS and other data collection work. Photography and UAS drone footage shall be consistent with community standards for maintenance of long-term photo-ID catalogs and enable species identification and individual identification when possible. Satellite tagging shall include options for deployment of tags which record summarized dive data and locations, and Sound and Motion Recording (SMRT) tags, as appropriate. Effort and sighting data shall include the time of the encounter, the species, latitude, longitude, group size and composition, and overall behavioral state.

Records of surfacing patterns of beaked whales shall be collected while group contact is maintained.

Biopsy tissue samples will enable sex determination and genotyping, and samples will be archived.

2.1 Program or Systems Supported

Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges (M3R) program

3.0 Applicable Documents

The contractor shall perform the tasking required in Section 4.0 in accordance with (IAW) the below Applicable Documents (ADs).

Number Name Revision Number/ Date

Task Number

3.1 Hawaii and Southern California Testing and Training Letter of Authorization (2014) National Marine Fisheries Service

16 January 2025 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4

3.2 ANSI-Z39.18; Scientific and Technical Reports -

Elements

R2010 / 13 May

4.1, 4.2, 4.3

4.0 Technical Requirements

The contractor shall perform the following tasks in accordance with (IAW) Applicable Documents (ADs) listed in section 3.0 and utilizing Government Furnished Information (GFI) listed in section 6.0.

4.1 Vessel Surveys

The contractor shall conduct vessel surveys in coordination with M3R and SCTTR to locate, identify, photograph, biopsy, tag, and collect behavioral data, eDNA, fecal samples, Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) drone footage on goose-beaked whales, fin whales and other species as required by the ICMP to better understand cetacean distribution and demographics. The contractor shall provide a vessel and all related equipment suitable to complete this tasking, including equipment for inclement weather, and tags that need to be recovered too far from shore for a Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB). The vessel shall be equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS), along with all appropriate safety, communication, and navigation equipment as determined by U.S. Coast Guard regulations. The contractor shall provide a minimum of eight satellite tags (including new and refurbished) capable of recording 28 days of dive and movement data per year. Field efforts are required and shall be scheduled to coincide with available support from M3R for at least 30 days per year for the life of the contract.

The contractor shall participate in planning meetings by phone. The contractor shall be responsible for tabulating all data in a format matching that of the Navy’s ICMP data standards, provided as GFI, including tables, figures and maps to support sighting and effort details for two reports.

Deliverables

Interim report summarizing effort and sighting details for review by the sponsor IAW CDRL A001.

Final report summarizing all effort and sighting details incorporating sponsor comments IAW CDRL A001.

Report shall be delivered detailing the disposition of the photographs and related data, including where they were shared IAW CDRL A002.

4.2. Photographic Evaluation

The contractor shall compare photographs of Cuvier’s beaked whales, fin whales and other marine mammals collected during the performance of Task 4.1 (above) to existing photographic catalogs (GFI) and perform analyses to contribute to long-term studies of population structure, demographics, and distribution within the Southern California Range Complex. The contractor shall report new population estimates based on updated mark-recapture results.

Deliverables

Report providing analyses of population structure, demographics and distribution of Cuvier’s beaked whales, fin whales, and other species of interest IAW CDRL A003.

4.3 Tag Analysis

The Contractor shall identify periods when tagged whales were present within the bounds of SOAR.

NUWCDIVNPT will provide the contractor a limited summary of operations involving sonar coincident to tagged whales in the area as GFI in individual task orders. The contractor shall compare modeled locations of tagged whales against the sonar operations, provided as GFI, to generate estimated received levels and assess possible behavioral responses of tagged whales. The contractor shall combine these results with data from 2014 – 2024 used in previous analyses, provided as GFI in individual task orders.

Deliverables

Report identifying those periods when tagged whales were present within SOAR IAW CDRL A004.

Report providing the estimated received levels experienced by tagged whales and an assessment of possible behavioral responses IAW CDRL A005.

4.4 DICASS Survey

As part of performing the surveys, the contractor shall use NUWCDIVNPT’s Directional Command Activated Sonobuoy System (DICASS) receiver (Government Furnished Property (GFP)), to command DICASS sonobuoys to transmit a signal for Controlled Exposure Experiments (CEEs) on tagged beaked-and/or fin- whales, or other species of interest, if conditions permit execution of CEEs. The contractor shall make five (5) square feet of space available on the vessel for housing the DICASS, Low-Cost Sonobuoy Receiver (LCSR) control unit (GFP). The contractor shall provide a 120-volt power source for the equipment, as well as mounts and wiring for the DICASS receiver antennas and equipment. To be determined at the order level, the contractor shall be capable of supporting one Government rider on a non-interference basis and shall provide a minimum of 7 days’ notice prior to departure for the effort.

4.5 SMRT Tag Procurement and Refurbishments

The contractor shall purchase additional new Sound and Motion Recording and Telemetry (SMRT) tags and provide SMRT tag refurbishments (required after each deployment of a SMRT tag, up to a maximum of 2 refurbishments per tag after which the tag is no longer eligible for refurbishment), as requested by the Government. The contractor may utilize inventoried (new or refurbished) SMRT tags (GFP).

4.6 Annual Meetings and Conferences

The contractor shall attend, and present findings of work, at the U.S. Navy’s Marine Species Monitoring (MSM) program annual technical review meeting, date to be specified in individual task orders. The contractor shall attend, and present findings of work, at other relevant conferences or meetings as defined at the task order level. The contractor shall clearly identify itself as contractor employee(s), beginning presentation with greetings such as “I am (name), from (company name)”. The contractor shall display a nametag with its company name, at all times during conference attendance. All presentation material is to be prominently marked with company name. The contractor shall refrain from speaking to Governmental policy. Should questions involving Governmental policy or regulation be asked in response to the contractor’s presentation, the contractor shall redirect the question to a representative from the Government.

Deliverables

Trip Report IAW CDRL A006.

5.0 Progress Reports

5.1 Contract Status Report

The Contractor shall prepare a Contractor’s Status Report that indicates the progress of work, status of the program(s), and both existing or potential problem areas for all assigned tasks. The Contractor shall submit the Contract Status Report for the same timeframe as each invoice submitted in the Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) Module of the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE).

Deliverable: CDRL A007– DI-MGMT-81991.

6.0 Government Furnished Information

The following Government Furnished Information (GFI) will be made available under this contract.

Number Title Applicable SOW Task Number

6.1 Document summarizing sonar and live-fire

operations/locations/times will be provided to the contractor All

6.2 Navy ICMP data standards for data collection and report

generation All

6.3 Existing photographic catalogs All

7.0 Government Furnished Property

Incidental Government Property will be made available. Please see form.

8.0 Reserved

9.0 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility Requirements

The Government has determined that this procurement is compliant with the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility Standards (36 C.F.R. § 1194.3 - Chapter 2 E202 General Exceptions of Section 50 Refresh).

The Government has determined that this procurement is an exception to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility Standards (36 C.F.R. Part 1194, Appendix A).

Notwithstanding that an exception exists, the Contractor may furnish items or services provided under this contract that comply with the ICT Accessibility Standards (36 C.F.R. Part 1194, Appendix A).

The Government has determined that this procurement is an exception to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility Standards (36 C.F.R. Part 1194, Appendix A).

Notwithstanding that an exception exists, the Contractor may furnish items or services provided under this contract that comply with the ICT Accessibility Standards (36 C.F.R. Part 1194, Appendix A).

10.0 Security Compliance

10.1 Program Protection

SECURITY: All Contractor personnel shall adhere to the Security provisions of 32 CFR Part 117 – National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM). While performing work at a Government Facility, Contractor personnel shall comply with the security regulations of the host facility.

Applicable FAR, DFARS, NMCARS clauses, and NAVSEA text shall be adhered to in the performance of this contract. Security incidents shall be promptly reported through the companies Facility Security Officer (FSO), to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Technical Point of Contact (TPOC), and the Cognizant Security Office to NUWCDIVNPT Security.

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) including Legacy FOUO and Covered Defense Information (meeting the definition of 48 CFR 252.204–7012(a)) generated and/or provided under this contract shall be marked and safeguarded as specified in DoD Instruction 5200.48, CUI available at:

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/520048p.PDF. Any product containing Covered Defense Information shall be assigned a distribution statement (distribution statements B through F) in accordance with DoDI 5230.24 (Distribution Statements on Technical Documents); and DoDI 5230.24, Enclosure 3 Procedures, available at https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/523024p.pdf

INFORMATION SECURITY: If the work is performed at the Contractor's facility, the Contractor shall implement and maintain security procedures and controls to prevent unauthorized disclosure of classified information and controlled unclassified information (CUI) and to control distribution of CUI in accordance with National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM) codifying 32 CFR Part 117, NISPOM Rule, and SECNAV M-5510.36B. If the work is performed at the Government's facility, the Contractor shall comply with facility policy.

CUI INCIDENT REPORTING AND RESPONSE: The Contractor shall promptly report any unauthorized, inadvertent, or illegal release or disclosure of CUI to the Contracting Officer’s Representative / Technical Point of Contact (TPOC), Procuring Contracting Officer, and the Security Office. Contractor personnel shall coordinate this effort through the relevant industry site FSO.

PUBLIC RELEASE: Any controlled unclassified information pertaining to this contract shall not be released for public dissemination, including posting to any social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter, unless it has been approved for public release by appropriate U.S. Government authority.

Proposed public releases shall be submitted for approval prior to release through the appropriate U.S.

Government Office.

10.2 Operations Security (OPSEC)

OPSEC is a process that identifies critical information to determine if friendly actions can be observed by adversary intelligence systems, determines if information obtained by adversaries could be interpreted to be useful to them, and then executes selected measures that eliminate or reduce adversary exploitation of friendly critical information.

The Contractor shall develop and implement, and update and maintain an OPSEC program to protect controlled unclassified and classified activities, information, equipment, and material used or developed by the Contractor and any subcontractor during performance of the contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for the subcontractor implementation of the OPSEC requirements. The Contractor developed OPSEC program may include Information Assurance and Communications Security (COMSEC). The OPSEC program shall be in accordance with National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) 28, and at a minimum shall include:

1) Assignment of responsibility for OPSEC direction and implementation.

2) Issuance of procedures and planning guidance for the use of OPSEC techniques to identify vulnerabilities and apply applicable countermeasures.

3) Establishment of OPSEC education and awareness training.

4) Provisions for management, annual review, and evaluation of OPSEC programs.

5) Flow down of OPSEC requirements to subcontractors when applicable.

While performing aboard Government sites, the contractor shall: comply with all OPSEC instructions and policies; include OPSEC as part of its ongoing security awareness program and take all required Agency training; Be responsive to the Supporting OPSEC Manager on a non-interference basis; and Protect sensitive unclassified information and activities, which could compromise classified information or operations, or degrade the planning and execution of operations performed by the Requiring Organization and contractor in support of the mission.

10.3 Electronic Spillage

Electronic Spillage (ES) is defined as a situation where information of higher classification than a system is authorized to process is introduced into that system, intentionally or otherwise. If a Contractor is determined to be responsible for an ES, all direct and indirect costs incurred by the Government for ES remediation will be charged to the Contractor.