REQUIREMENTS-24-0820 DRAFT SOW.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

NOAA Fisheries Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC)

Conservation Biology Division (CBD) Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) Annual Photo Identification and Health Assessment Services

1.0 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The NOAA Fisheries, NWFSC is a government agency charged with the mission of stewardship for living marine resources. The NWFSC's mission is to conduct the science necessary to conserve marine and anadromous species and their habitats off the Washington, Oregon, and northern California coasts and in freshwater rivers of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The research provides reliable, relevant, and credible information to help decision-makers and natural resource managers build sustainable fisheries, recover endangered and threatened species, maintain healthy ecosystems, and protect human health. The CBD of the NWFSC conducts science to support the conservation of marine species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. The CBD’s Marine Mammal Program is responsible for research on the ecology, distribution, abundance, and threats to marine mammal species in the Northwest, primarily endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales which were designated as ‘endangered’ due to their low abundance and variety of threats to their persistence by

NOAA Fisheries in 2005.

2.0 PURPOSE

The first purpose is to collect high quality, usable SRKW population data. The second purpose is to enumerate all the individuals present in the population through photo-identification. The third purpose is to provide SRKW health assessments through visual means and biological samples. The fourth purpose is to complete other SRKW Annual Survey services tasks and analyses as required.

3.0 TASKS

The contractor shall conduct the annual census of SRKW population and provide for the periodic conduct of health assessments of this population. In addition, the contractor shall undertake other ancillary tasks that are determined to be within scope on an as needed basis.

The contractor shall provide all services, personnel, material, supplies, supervision, labor, expertise, and equipment necessary to accomplish the tasks.

3.1 Task 1: Annual Census

The contractor shall address the annual need to determine the population size of the southern resident killer whale population and enumerate all individuals present in the population through photo-identification.

This will involve collecting and providing individual identification and sighting location information to include photo-ID on killer whales, particularly J, K, and L pods. The primary focus is on J, K and L pods of the SRKW population. Opportunistic information on other killer whale populations, including northern residents, transient and offshore ecotype killer whales, should also be obtained, but is a second priority.

Photo-ID is defined here as photographic mapping of each side of the whale, so each whale can be identified from either side. Each year, animals acquire new marks, and juvenile animals grow in size, such that high resolution photographs are required to document these changes which must be taken closer than 200m, requiring a federal research permit. Staff must have the ability to recognize all individuals in the SRKW population (approximately 75 whales) from memory, immediately when the whale is at the surface for only about 4 seconds, using the fin shape, saddle pigment pattern, and subtle nicks and scratches, all when viewed from tens of meters away so photos of the same whale are not taken over and over again.

The contractor shall conduct annual surveys of the SRKW population in the late spring or summer each year of the contract that document the presence or absence of each whale that had been in the prior year’s census and any new whales in the population due to births or immigration. During encounters from these surveys the contractor shall to the extent possible collect photo-ID data of each southern resident killer whale.

Data collected for each encounter, to the extent possible, is to include a clear photograph suitable for identification of each individual and include the date, time, location of the sighting (descriptive and latitude/longitude), and which other whales were present.

3.2 TASK 2: Killer Whale Health Assessments

Generally, the contractor shall provide for the periodic conduct of health assessments of individual whales and individuals identified as animals of concern in this population.

3.2.1 TASK 2A: Visual Assessments

Visually observe and monitor individual whales for changes in health status, including, but not limited to, unusual or atypical behavior or appearance; high risk interactions with people or vessels; signs of serious injury or infectious disease; interactions with fishing gear (e.g. hook in mouth, entanglement in line; change in reproductive status; or other indications of a life-threatening condition.

3.2.2 TASK 2B: Sample Collection

Collection of killer whale fecal, mucus, breath, or other bodily samples for biological analysis. All samples shall be collected only under a current NMFS permit and any conditions described therein. Samples shall be stored appropriately for genetic, chemical, hormonal, and pathological analysis, and shall include complete field sampling information including the lat/long coordinates of the sample, the unique identifier of any associated whales in the area, the method of sample collection, and the amount of sample collected.

4.0 DELIVERABLES

The general types of deliverables for photographic collections and related analysis, biological samples and related analysis, and both weekly and annual reports are described. Deliverables will be further refined at the task order level.

4.1 Task 1 Deliverables: Annual Census

a. Weekly Reports: The contractor shall provide weekly electronic reports (contractor’s website encounter reports, if published in this manner, meet this requirement) describing all opportunistic whale encounters (resident, transient, or offshore ecotype) collected and, where applicable, which pods, matrilines, or individual whales were observed, and their locations/routes (i.e., GPS locations). Data collected for each encounter is to include, to the best of the contractor’s ability, a photograph suitable for identification of each individual and shall include the date, time, location of the sighting (descriptive and latitude/longitude), and which other whales were present. Opportunistically, any change in body condition associated with health status or anthropogenic interactions are also to be noted. The contractor shall provide a copy of the sighting data in electronic form to NWFSC upon completion of the field work and data review. The file will be in Excel format.

b. Annual Reports: Each year the contractor shall provide a report of the annual SRKW census. The report shall include the number of whales (total and by pod) known or reliably estimated to be in the population on the first day of July, including a unique identifier for each whale consistent with the previous years’ identification system. The report on the population size on the first day of July shall be provided by the first day of October of each year and to the extent possible should also include a narrative description of the circumstances associated with the addition or loss of each whale, including the inferred mother of each new calf since the first day of July of the previous year. The report shall also include new numbers by pod with a comparison to the numbers reported to the previous census year. To the extent possible, the contractor shall provide a summary of the first and last date of observation of all individual SRKW (living and dead) in each year. Calves that were born and died within the year should also be reported. A file of these data will be provided in an Excel format.

c. Photo Identification Catalogs: The contractor shall provide copies of the SRKW ID catalogue (1 electronic and 10 hard copies) with photos of all individuals in each matriline. Electronic copies shall include the best available photos obtained to date and the best available photo for the current year, along with the unique identifier for each whale. The best available photo to date shall include the date the photo was obtained.

4.2 Task 2 Deliverables: Killer Whale Health Assessment

a. Weekly Reports: The contractor shall provide weekly reports as described in Task 1 deliverables, but shall also include a narrative description of observations and trends related to the health of the focal whale.

b. Biological Samples: All biological samples collected shall be provided within 48 hours to the

NWFSC Point of Contact (POC), either by hand delivery or by overnight shipment. Samples shall be shipped on ice or in a manner pre- approved by the NWFSC POC.

5.0 ADDITIONAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Reporting Requirements

a. The contractor shall present the results of this study and/or updates of work in progress at NWFSC workshops or for progress reports to the NWFSC.

b. All final reports shall be posted on the NWFSC or other federal government websites as directed by the Contracting Officer. The contractor shall format the final report to meet all relevant Section 508 guidelines for electronic government documents. For example, this includes providing brief written descriptions for all figures, and formatting that allows screen reading software to correctly interpret heading, subheadings, etc., See www…section508.gov <http://www section508.gov/> for complete requirements.

c. Each year the contractor shall include in the reports an assessment that indicates if the resources provided were sufficient to achieve the tasks by providing an accounting of expenditures by budget category, i.e., salary and benefits, travel, equipment, sub-contracts.

d. For each task or subtask deliverables shall be provided in the form of reports and data to the NWFSC by 31 December of each year of the contract for data collected in the previous year.

5.2 Place of Performance

Services are to be provided at a location agreed upon by both parties. However, the majority of the work will take place in the Salish Sea with some work conducted in the coastal areas of WA, OR, CA, and BC, Canada. The contractor is to have all required permits to carry out this research and adhere to the requirements of those permits while conducting this work.

5.3 Quality Control

The contractor is responsible for producing complete, competent, and thoroughly checked data and documents within the schedules provided in this statement of work or the task orders. Following the contract award, the contractor shall submit a quality control plan for approval by the Contracting Officer. The NWFSC reserves the right to conduct site visits and inspections to assure quality of work and data.

5.4 Data Rights

The contractor shall have the right to analyze, interpret, and publish the data collected under this statement of work. Publications in the primary scientific literature that use data collected under this project shall be done in collaboration with the NWFSC point of contact and/or his designee(s). The NWFSC shall have the right to analyze, interpret, summarize, and publish these data in conjunction with other data. The NWFSC may at its discretion make the data available to other researchers or to the general public.