SingleSourceDetermination SAP 26-494 Signed_Redacted.pdf

Version 2.0 19Aug2020

SINGLE SOURCE DETERMINATION USING

SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES (SAP)

FOR AN ACTION NOT EXCEEDING THE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION

THRESHOLD (AUTHORITY: FAR 13.106-1(b)(1))

1. Agency and contracting activity. Department of Commerce, NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and SEFSC Panama City FL Laboratories

2. Description of supplies or services required to meet agency needs (including the estimated value).

Services to coordinate and obtain multiple registered commercial fishing vessels located in Puerto Rico to conduct hook and line sampling at no more than 250 pre-selected stations island-wide, in addition to an on-board observer to conduct data collection on both fishing gear and fish information. This work will occur island-wide in Puerto Rico from depths of 20 m - 450 m. Additional data collection objectives include obtaining biological information from queen snapper Etelis oculatus, silk snapper Lutjanus vivanus, blackfin snapper L. buccanella, vermilion snapper Rhomboplites aurobens, wenchman snapper Pristipomoides aquilonaris, cardinal snapper P. macrophthalmus, black snapper Apsilus dentatus, misty grouper Hyporthodus mystacinus, and red hind Epinephelus guttatus. Targeted snapper species will be subsampled at sea. Subsampled specimens will be retained for biological processing on land as part of a collaborative effort funded by the territorial initiative. Biological samples (otoliths, gonads, and tissue) will be collected and archived for use in age, growth, reproduction, and population connectivity studies.

Tissue samples will be collected from both target species and incidental catch for use in concurrent DNA barcoding studies. The results of these efforts will support this year’s approved Cooperative Research Program project, “Deep-water Fishery Independent Survey of Reef Fishes in Puerto Rico”. The scope and corresponding funding for this research is assessed and approved annually. The work is to be conducted from 09/29/2026 - 12/31/2027. A firm fixed price purchase order is anticipated and the estimated value .

3. Identification of the single source or the brand name to be solicited.

Hector Jose Ruiz Torres

URBAN VALLE HEMOSA ARRYIBA CALLAVE P4

HORMIGUEROS, PR, 00660-0000

(787)691-7410 reefscaping@gmail.com

4. Supporting rationale. Only one source or brand name is reasonably available as detailed below:

x Other - Only one source is capable

This project builds off of several previously awarded contracts that Hector Jose Ruiz Torres is either currently conducting, or conducted in past years. In order to ensure the success of this project, the methods must remain standardized and usable in analysis, and the gear must be deployed using the same standardized approach as used in previous years. Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

The Government believes that Hector Jose Ruiz Torres is the only source capable of providing the services required at the level of quality required because the entity was awarded 5 contracts, 2018-current year to complete this fishery-independent survey.

Additionally, an almost identical project is currently awarded to Hector Jose Ruiz Torres to sample island-wide using commercial fishers, with this new project maintaining the same protocols, with the addition of one shallow-water depth bin (20-50 m). These contracts that have been completed by Hector Jose Ruiz Torres have provided the necessary building blocks for the current 2026 proposed project. It is absolutely necessary for the contractor to have working relationships with the commercial fishing industry with insured fishers hired and trained on the protocols prior to it beginning, as well as the observer program in Puerto Rico, which Hector Jose Ruiz Torres unequivocally does. There are multiple justifications for a sole source award in this project. The strongest rationale is scientific quality. The ability to detect treatment effects relies on the ability to reduce extraneous variability; changing vendors midway through the project will unquestionably introduce bias and variance as different anglers will vary in their procedures, even if following the same set of instructions. Small changes in procedures can have profound impacts on outcomes. Based on the previously awarded contracts, the CV’s generated by the methods and procedures used by Hector Ruiz Torres have reduced sampling efforts by 70% for queen snapper, and 55% for silk snapper when compared to a simple random survey design. By doing so, the data collected resulted in CVs of mean CPUE ranging from 12-23% for silk and queen snapper. These low CV’s are critically important to the success of the project and their use in Caribbean stock assessments. This reduction in sample effort achieved through this standardized protocol and survey reduces necessary sea days by 20-75 days, and thus cost.

The second rationale is logistical cost. This work is conducted in Puerto Rico with remote oversight from Florida. Using the established vendor precludes the need for costly and timely travel restrictions. Additionally, it would cost significantly more to conduct completely new training which would require travel to the island in order to orient a new vendor on NOAA specific requirements, as well as insure the scientific integrity of the data collection.

The third rationale is scheduling. Specialized permits are required to complete the field work. Permits are awarded by the territorial government through a tightly controlled and lengthy process. The time required for a new vendor to navigate the complex labyrinth of governmental entities in Puerto Rico and obtain the required permits would push the start date of the project beyond the date it must begin to maintain the scientific integrity described in the first rationale.

5. Market Research.

A detailed search for Fishery Survey / Marine Survey sources on SAM.gov turned up no other registered entity that has the unique skill set and vast experience that Hector Jose Ruiz Torres at HJR Reefscaping has, including over 20 years of experience, permitting requirements, and a team of highly trained scientists. In addition, Hector Jose Ruiz Torres has direct experience with previous contracts awarded to the entity, with this project building off of previously awarded contracts. While a more general search using NAICS code 541620, Environmental Consulting Services in Puerto Rico, returned a very broad list, but not specific to the fishery survey work required by this project. Additional internet searches were also performed, however sources with the experience and required permits were not found.

6. Technical/Requirements Representative Certification

I certify that this requirement constitutes the Government’s minimum needs and the supporting data provided herein is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Melissa Buras, COR Level I Date

Deputy Director, SEFSC Date

7. Determination

I hereby determine that the circumstances of this action deem only one source is reasonably available. This determination is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Contracting Officer, Date

BURAS.MELISS

A.ANTOINETTE.

1177843349

Digitally signed by

BURAS.MELISSA.ANTOINE

TTE.1177843349

Date: 2026.07.02 11:51:53 -05'00'

MIKESELL.BRAYDON

.GLENN.1261513648

Digitally signed by

MIKESELL.BRAYDON.GLENN.1261

513648 Date: 2026.07.07 11:34:15 -04'00'

GILLILAND.AMY.AD

AMS.1006073316

Digitally signed by

GILLILAND.AMY.ADAMS.1006073316

Date: 2026.08.13 13:30:58 -05'00'