Experimental yellowtail husbandry and growth trial

***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE (NMFS), SOUTHWEST FISHERIES SCIENCE CENTER (SWFSC) INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH HUBBS-SEAWORLD RESEARCH INSTITUTE (HSWRI) OUT OF SAN DIEGO, CA FOR EXPERIMENTAL HUSBANDRY AND A GROWTH TRIAL UNDER COLD STRESS ON A LINE OF SERIOLA DORSALIS.

***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT HSWRI IS THE SOLE PROVIDER OF EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS FOR THIS SPECIES. HSWRI HAS REFINED SPAWNING AND AQUACULTURE TECHNIQUES FOR SERIOLA DORSALIS SINCE 2003, AND HAVE CONDUCTED A BROAD RANGE OF EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS FOR THIS SPECIES. VITAL TO THE CURRENT PROJECT, HSWRI CURRENTLY HAVE REPRODUCTIVELY MATURE FISH THAT UNDERWENT A GENERATION OF SELECTION FOR FASTER GROWTH UNDER COLD-STRESS CONDITIONS. THE SELECTED FISH RESULTED FROM THE COLD-TOLERANCE GROWTH TRIAL DONE COLLABORATIVELY WITH NOAA AND IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY IN 2017. THESE NOW MATURE FISH WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO SPAWN TO GENERATE F3 JUVENILE OFFSPRING THAT COULD BE USED IN A SECOND GROWTH TRIAL UNDER COLD-STRESS. THE GROWTH OF THESE FISH IN THE TRIAL WILL HELP TO VALIDATE WHETHER THE GENOMIC REGIONS, IDENTIFIED IN THE PREVIOUS GENERATION OF FISH, ARE SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH GROWTH IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF FISH. HSWRI ALSO HAS ADDITIONAL MATURE F1 FISH THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO SERVE AS THE NON-SELECTED CONTROL GROUP DURING THE COURSE OF THE TRIAL. IN ADDITION TO THE TWO AVAILABLE LINES OF S. DORSALIS, HSWRI STAFF HAVE EXPERTISE IN CONDUCTING STATISTICALLY SOUND EXPERIMENTAL TRIALS, SAMPLING FISH, COLLECTING A VARIETY OF GROWTH METRICS, AND SCREENING FOR A RANGE OF DEFORMITIES IN JUVENILE AND MATURE FISH, INCLUDING SPECIFICALLY FOR S. DORSALIS. HSWRI ALSO HAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED TO SPAWN THE LINES OF FISH, GROW OUT LARVAL AND JUVENILE FISH, AND CONDUCT A THREE-MONTH EXPERIMENTAL GROWTH TRIAL AT THE DESIRED TEMPERATURES

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.