Statement of Work - Gray Whale Surveys-Photo ID-UAS Monitoring.docx

Statement of Work

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Marine Mammal Laboratory

Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) Gray Whale Surveys, Photographic Identification, and UAS Monitoring from Northern California to Southern Oregon

Background

The Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML) conducts collaborative studies focused on the abundance, distribution, habitat use, body condition, recruitment, and individual identification of Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whales along the west coast of the United States and Canada. These studies support National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) stock assessment activities and management needs associated with the proposed Makah Tribe subsistence harvest and broader conservation objectives under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

This contract supports long-term monitoring of PCFG gray whales in coastal waters between Cape Blanco, Oregon and Cape Mendocino, California, including nearshore feeding habitats utilized by PCFG gray whales. This region represents an important component of the known PCFG feeding range and provides critical opportunities to document known PCFG whales accompanied by calves, supporting efforts to identify recruitment into the PCFG population segment.

Observations of known Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whale females accompanied by calves provide important information regarding recruitment into the PCFG population segment and contribute to understanding long-term population dynamics. Recruitment is a recognized population parameter used in population projection and abundance modeling efforts and is directly tied to management products and assessment needs associated with gray whale stock assessment and management activities.

Research activities include vessel-based and uncrewed aircraft system (UAS)-supported surveys conducted from small boats to collect photographic identification images, body condition measurements, foraging behavior observations, and ancillary ecological data from individually identified gray whales. UAS operations shall be integrated directly with vessel-based photo-identification surveys to allow linkage of body condition and behavioral observations to known individual whales.

Photographs collected during surveys will be matched to established gray whale photographic catalogs to identify individual whales and assess annual resighting histories, habitat use, site fidelity, body condition trends, calf associations, recruitment, and foraging strategies.

Continuation of standardized survey methods and data collection protocols is necessary to maintain compatibility with the existing long-term Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whale dataset and associated NOAA analytical and monitoring workflows.

All survey effort, whale sighting information, UAS operations, photographic identification records, body condition observations, and associated metadata shall be documented using NOAA-approved digital data collection applications and standardized NOAA survey formatting protocols provided by the Government.

All digital imagery, UAS products, and electronic datasets shall be organized, archived, and transferred using naming conventions and formatting compatible with NOAA gray whale monitoring programs. UAS imagery and associated metadata shall be synchronized with vessel-based sighting records to support integration into NOAA gray whale analytical databases and future automated or AI-assisted photographic identification and analytical workflows.

The contractor shall also document evidence of active entanglements, fisheries interactions, and entanglement scarring observed on gray whales to support regional assessments of entanglement risk and fisheries interaction exposure.

The proposed contract supports continuation of a long-term standardized dataset focused on PCFG gray whales within northern California and southern Oregon, providing continuity with more than two decades of regional large cetacean research and monitoring effort.

Tasks

1. Conduct twelve (12) vessel-based surveys annually for Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whales in coastal waters between Cape Blanco, Oregon and Cape Mendocino, California between June and November during each performance year.

2. Conduct vessel-based photographic identification surveys from a small boat platform and collect high-quality digital images of all gray whales encountered during surveys. Photographs shall include the left and right sides of the whale around the dorsal hump region and flukes when available.

3. Conduct uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) surveys directly from the small boat survey platform while conducting vessel-based photo-identification operations. UAS imagery and video shall be collected to evaluate body condition, morphology, calf associations, and foraging behavior of individually identified gray whales.

4. Link UAS imagery, body condition assessments, and behavioral observations to individual whale photographic identification records to support longitudinal analyses of body condition, recruitment, habitat use, and foraging strategy.

5. Record ancillary data for each whale sighting including date and time, GPS position, water depth if available, general behavior, foraging behavior, presence of calves, association with other whales, presence of active entanglements, and evidence of entanglement scarring or fisheries interactions.

6. Conduct all survey effort and sighting documentation using NOAA-approved digital data collection applications and standardized NOAA survey formatting protocols.

7. Maintain detailed survey effort logs including survey duration, vessel track lines, survey conditions, and locations surveyed.

8. Provide electronic data files, survey logs, imagery, and associated metadata to the Marine Mammal Laboratory and designated collaborators in formats compatible with NOAA gray whale monitoring databases and analytical workflows.

9. Provide monthly progress summaries during the survey season and an annual summary report describing survey effort, whale encounters, image collection totals, UAS operations, calf observations, recruitment observations, body condition findings, foraging ecology observations, and entanglement documentation.

Deliverables

· Digital photographs of the left, right, and fluke (if available) of each gray whale encountered shall be provided directly to Cascadia Research Collective and the Marine Mammal Laboratory by 1 January following the year of collection.

· UAS imagery, associated metadata, and linked body condition observations shall be provided to the Marine Mammal Laboratory by 1 January following the year of collection.

· Electronic data files summarizing whale sightings, survey effort, body condition observations, entanglement documentation, and ancillary data shall be provided in NOAA-compatible formats.

· Monthly progress reports shall be provided during the survey season.

· An annual summary report describing survey effort, whale encounters, calf observations, recruitment observations, body condition findings, foraging observations, and entanglement documentation shall be submitted by 1 January following the year of collection.

Contractor Qualifications

· A minimum of twenty (20) years of experience conducting large cetacean research within coastal waters between Cape Blanco, Oregon and Cape Mendocino, California.

· Demonstrated affiliation with a university-based marine mammal research program with long-term experience conducting research and monitoring of Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whales within the project region.

· Demonstrated expertise in gray whale photographic identification methods and longitudinal monitoring of individually identified whales.

· Experience conducting vessel-based marine mammal surveys in nearshore Pacific coastal environments.

· Demonstrated experience operating uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) from small boat platforms for marine mammal research applications.

· Experience evaluating gray whale body condition, calf associations, and foraging behavior using vessel-based and UAS imagery.

· A minimum of twenty (20) years of experience conducting whale stranding response and large whale entanglement documentation within the project region.

· Demonstrated expertise identifying and documenting active entanglements, entanglement scars, and fisheries interaction types observed during gray whale surveys.

· Experience using NOAA-approved digital data collection applications and standardized electronic data formatting protocols.

· Experience organizing, naming, archiving, and transferring large digital image datasets.

Operational Requirements

· All UAS operations conducted under this contract shall comply with applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and NOAA operational guidance.

· The Contractor must demonstrate expertise conducting vessel-based and UAS-supported marine mammal survey operations within dynamic nearshore habitats utilized by Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whales, including surf zones, kelp-associated habitats, rocky reef environments, and shallow benthic feeding areas.

· The Contractor shall demonstrate the ability to safely operate small vessels and conduct coordinated UAS survey operations within exposed nearshore coastal environments where PCFG gray whales frequently forage and exhibit localized site fidelity.

· The Contractor shall provide and operate a twin-engine vessel suitable for offshore and nearshore Pacific Ocean survey operations within the project region.

· The vessel utilized under this contract shall be approved or certified for ocean operations within the project region by the appropriate institutional or organizational vessel safety committee or equivalent oversight authority.

· The Contractor shall maintain all applicable vessel safety certifications, inspections, and operational requirements necessary for conducting offshore marine mammal survey operations during the period of performance.

Performance Requirements Summary (PRS)

All surveys, imagery, UAS products, electronic datasets, monthly reports, and annual reports shall be completed and provided in accordance with NOAA formatting and reporting requirements. Failure to meet these standards may result in termination of the contract.

Period of Performance

The base period is expected to begin upon award and continue for 12 months. The total contract value shall not exceed $25,000. The requested Performance Periods are as follows:

Base Year: 9/1/2026 - 8/31/2027 Option Year 1: 9/1/2027 - 8/31/2028 Option Year 2: 9/1/2028 - 8/31/2029