Analyses on alaskan crab cuticles

***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS) INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY OUT OF EWING, NEW JERSEY, FOR ANALYSES ON ALASKAN CRAB CUTICLES.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY (TCNJ) HAS THE ONLY LABS IN THE WORLD ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ON MICROHARDNESS OFMINERALIZED TISSUE IN CRABS. THE FINE SCALE OF THE MICROHARDNESS PROCEDURE ALLOWS TCNJ TO ASSESS INDIVIDUAL BODY SEGMENTS (I.E., CLAW, CARAPACE) WITHIN IN SMALL ANIMALS. OTHER MECHANICAL TESTS (E.G., COMPRESSION TESTING) TYPICALLY REQUIRES A MUCH LARGER SAMPLE. IN ADDITION, TCNJ IS ABLE TO COMBINE MICROMECHANICAL TESTING WITH STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENTS USING OPTICAL MICROSCOPY. THESE ADDITIONAL ASSAYS PROVIDE INSIGHT ON THE DIMENSIONS AND ORGANIZATION OF SPECIFIC STRUCTURES WITHIN THE CUTICLE. TCNJ IS THE ONLY INSTITUTION IN THE USA OR ELSEWHERE CONDUCTING THE COMBINATION OF MECHANICAL AND STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENTS ON CRABS. FURTHER, TCNJ IS THE ONLY INSTITUTION THAT HAS CONDUCTED THESE ASSESSMENTS ON GOLDEN, RED, AND BLUE KING CRAB AS WELL AS TANNER AND SNOW CRAB, SO THE RESULTS FROM THE ANALYSES ON ALASKAN CRAB CUTICLES WILL BE ABLE TO BE QUANTITATIVELY COMPARED AMONG SPECIES.NO COMMERCIAL SOURCE IS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING ALL OF THESE ANALYSES. RESEARCH GROUPS AT OTHER UNIVERSITIES WERE IDENTIFIED; HOWEVER, NONE OF THESE OTHER GROUPS ARE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING ALL OF THE ANALYSES NEEDED GIVEN THE EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS. TCNJ IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT CAN MEET OUR NEEDS.

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