Advancing Satellite Tag Technology for Large Whales

Amendment #0001 is issued to incorporate questions received and corresponding answers. The due date for receipt of responses is hereby extended to August 8, 2025 at 5:00 pm, PDT.

This is a Sources Sought Notice, for market research purposes, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 Procedures. This is not a solicitation, nor does it guarantee a solicitation will be issued. Requests for a solicitation will not receive a response. This is not a request for proposals and it does not obligate the government in any manner.

Background
The NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) plans, develops, and manages a multidisciplinary program of basic and applied research. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the conservation and recovery of endangered large whale species, whose populations were depleted by commercial whaling.

Satellite telemetry has proven to be a key method for studying the movements and spatial ecology of whales, including their critical habitats and overlap with human activities; therefore, satellite telemetry is an important tool in the conservation and management toolbox. For baleen whale species, long-term tracking is typically only achieved through the use of devices with anchoring systems and electronic packages embedded in the body of the animal. These tags, now referred to as “consolidated” (or Type-C) tags are designed to anchor in the blubber or beneath the blubber-muscle interface via various types of retention barbs, plates or petals. Despite the clear benefits of satellite tagging to improve research and conservation of cetaceans, there are still concerns regarding possible adverse health effects on tagged whales.
In recent years, NMFS and the Office of Naval Research have supported the improvement of consolidated satellite tags, including the development of a miniaturized “blubber” tag for large whales, which was anticipated to minimize the health impacts associated with implantable tags. These tags have now been tested on Southern right whales, but have not been tested on any Northern Hemisphere species to date. Additionally, there are few experts operating in North Atlantic waters who have the skill, experience and qualifications to deploy implantable satellite tags on protected species. This requirement will facilitate the deployment and testing of the new miniaturized “blubber” tag on large whale species in Gulf of Maine and nearby waters, to evaluate tag robustness and performance. Health follow-up studies will be conducted to assess the potential impacts (or lack thereof) of these tags on individual whales. Finally, a highly-qualified team of experts will conduct training on satellite tag deployment best practices, to increase the pool of trained and permitted scientists available to conduct this work.


To accomplish the objectives above, we require a highly skilled contractor, who holds federal authorization and associated permits required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (or who can be certified no later than September 1, 2025) and situated in a manner to conduct field expeditions throughout the season when the target species are moving through the area, to provide services to advance satellite tag technology for large whales to include (principal requirements being the second and third bullets):
• Wildlife Computers Satellite tag procurement and deployment on large whales from a vessel in the Gulf of Maine to include a follow-up study to evaluate the potential health impacts of the new tag design;
• Development and execution of training program on “best practices” for qualified individuals on the techniques and best practices for satellite tag deployment to include a land-based component in which trainees have an opportunity to develop expertise on proper tag handling and deployment as well as a boat-based component in which trainees will shadow experts in actual tag deployments;
• Data synthesis and final reporting to include standard sightings data for baleen whales, satellite telemetry data files, and relevant photo-identification images along with details on the success or failure of the data collection, metadata associated with the field efforts and lessons learned.
Responses to this notice shall be limited to five pages. Any brochure or catalog submissions do not count against the five-page limit.

1. Entity information and preferred contact information.
A. The organization’s UEI number, CAGE code, and organization/company structure (corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, etc.).
B. Written confirmation of the organization’s registration for All Awards in SAM (www.sam.gov). Offerors should be registered to be considered as a source, and must be registered to be eligible for any potential award.
C. The size classification of the organization under the appropriate NAICS code, and if the organization is classified as a small business, HUBZone small business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned small business, Woman-owned small business and/or 8(a) certified small business.
2. Capability information
A. General statement providing the organization’s relevant experience and/or capability to provide the described services.
B. Any additional information you think the Government should consider related this opportunity.


Capability statements and other responses shall be submitted to Crystina Jubie at Crystina.r.jubie@noaa.gov no later than 5:00 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday July 31st. Please do not call regarding this notice. Any questions regarding this notice must be submitted in writing via e-mail to the above e-mail address no later than 5:00 PM Pacific Time on Friday, July 25th. An amendment may be posted if necessary, so firms are encouraged to “follow” this announcement for future actions.

This request is not to be construed as a commitment on the part of the Government to award a contract, nor does the Government intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of the submission of contractor's information. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for proprietary information not properly identified. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations.