Merkel & Associates, Inc.

Merkel & Associates, Inc., a San Diego-based certified woman-owned small business, delivers marine habitat surveys, environmental monitoring, invasive species eradication, and ecosystem restoration services to federal agencies as a prime contractor (91% of awards) and subcontractor, with primary operational focus on the Department of the Navy and secondary work across civilian environmental and fisheries agencies. The company holds a $15 million indefinite delivery contract with Naval Facilities Engineering Command for marine habitat services across California and Hawaii, awarded in April 2021, and recently secured a $2 million GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract effective August 2026.

Merkel & Associates demonstrates pronounced customer concentration within the Department of the Navy. The top five funding agencies account for 76% of award count, with Naval Facilities Engineering Command dominating at 67 awards totaling $39.4 million combined potential value, Navy Installations Command at 72 awards worth $5.5 million, and the Navy department-level at 24 awards worth $10.1 million. Civilian customers include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (20 awards, $1.7 million), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (8 awards, $2.9 million), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (multiple invasive-species contracts), and the Coast Guard. By potential value, Naval Facilities Engineering Command and the Navy department together represent approximately 60% of combined dollars. The GSA Federal Acquisition Service contributes $5.5 million through the newly awarded MAS contract, which Merkel & Associates will leverage to serve civilian federal customers including NOAA and the Corps of Engineers.

Core capabilities center on eelgrass (Zostera marina and Z. pacifica) habitat surveys, mapping, monitoring, and restoration; invasive species eradication (particularly Caulerpa prolifera detection and control); marine mammal and invertebrate baseline studies; water quality monitoring; and environmental compliance support for dredging and harbor maintenance. Representative work includes a $446,341 delivery order from Navy Installations Command (September 2025) for Pacific eelgrass planting at Ballast Point in San Diego Bay under the NAVFAC IDC; a $249,670 total small business set-aside purchase order from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8 (December 2025) for Caulerpa prolifera eradication surveys in South San Diego Bay; a $448,816 delivery order from Navy Installations Command (April 2024) for marine habitat assessment services supporting Naval Base San Diego's floating dry dock; a $850,847 delivery order from Naval Facilities Engineering Command Los Angeles (May 2026) for environmental support services including surveys and water quality monitoring at Morro Bay and Port San Luis under the GSA MAS; and multiple eelgrass transect surveys and habitat monitoring task orders from NAVFAC totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars across fiscal years 2022–2024.

Merkel & Associates operates under four primary federal contract vehicles. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Indefinite Delivery Contract (N6871103D7001), the largest by task-order count, supports 63 delivery orders totaling $10.6 million in combined potential value, with work spanning marine surveys, eelgrass restoration, and invasive species monitoring. Three additional Navy IDCs (N6247316D2402, N6247310D0805, N6247321D1813) collectively support 118 task orders worth $10.9 million. The GSA Multiple Award Schedule carries 25 task orders at $6.2 million, enabling pricing-compliant access to NOAA, the Corps of Engineers, and other civilian agencies. Merkel & Associates' MAS labor portfolio spans eight categories—clerical support ($53.49 per hour), marine and biological technicians ($67.67), GIS specialists ($78.58), project administrators ($85.05), senior biologists ($101.50), project managers ($117.88), and principal consultants ($208.47)—all requiring high school or bachelor's-level education and no security clearances.

Activity has declined over the past three years. The company received 20 awards in 2022, fell to 8 in 2023, rebounded to 14 in 2024, then dropped to 4 in 2025 and 3 in 2026. Six awards carrying $3 million in combined potential value face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, presenting recompete exposure. In subcontracting roles, Merkel & Associates performs eelgrass and hydrographic surveys for BB&E, Inc. on Coast Guard dredging and environmental permitting projects (multiple awards May 2024 and August 2022) and provides water quality monitoring and environmental services to Manson Construction Co on dredging operations in California harbors (October 2025 and March 2024). The source identifies no other named subcontract primes.

Merkel & Associates does not compete under SBA set-asides despite woman-owned small business certification; most prime awards carry no set-aside designation, though six total small business set-aside awards appear in recent activity (Naval Information Warfare Systems Command Pier 302 replacement, Fish and Wildlife Service Caulerpa work, and Navy eelgrass tasks). The firm has maintained federal contracting presence since 2002, with work performed nationwide but concentrated operationally in California and Hawaii coastal waters supporting Navy shore infrastructure and environmental compliance. The category concentration is strong: 180 awards fall under NAICS 541512 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services), 33 under Environmental Consulting Services, and 20 under Engineering Services. By PSC, natural resources and conservation work (PSC R799) accounts for 80 awards, professional support services (R405) for 43, and other environmental services (R799) for 41.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING, PERMITTING & REGULATORY AGENCY LIAISON; HABITAT DESIGN, RESTORATION & MONITORING; MARINE/TERRESTRIAL SITE ASSESSMENTS; INCLUDING RARE, THREATENED & ENDANGERED PLANT/ANIMAL SPECIES SURVEYS & MAPPING; WETLAND INVENTORIES/DELINEATIO