Request For Professional Services
Researcher Sought to Develop White Paper
Oil Spill Recovery Institute
Cordova, Alaska
Application Deadline: Tuesday, 1 August 2006
White Paper Completion Deadline: Friday, 25 August 2006
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Katey Walter
E-mail: Kwalter [at] pwssc.gen.ak.us
The Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) requires development of a 5-10
page white paper on the topic of tracking and monitoring marine
organisms in the Prince William Sound (PWS) and Copper River Delta
region. This white paper will be distributed through OSRI and some of
its partner organizations and will serve to identify potential requests
for proposals which OSRI may develop. OSRI seeks applications from
researchers interested in developing this white paper on a contractual
basis.
Background:
Exciting technologies have been developing for tracking and monitoring
marine organisms, such as the bioacoustic arrays deployed throughout the
Pacific for salmon and other marine organism studies in the Pacific
Ocean Shelf Tracking (POST) project. Transmitters can be turned on and
off to conserve battery life up to a number of years. It appears that
there will be opportunities to track and monitor forage fish with this
technology and that POST has plans to deploy arrays in PWS in 2007. OSRI
science and work plan committees agreed that interfacing with POST might
yield large returns from their rather small research fund investment.
Tracking and monitoring marine organisms by interfacing with innovative
technologies could also help with modeling goals for real-time biology.
Developing an RFP in this area will require identification of key
questions through exploration of possibilities for using this technology
to address issues specific to Prince William Sound. Some questions
include: Is this technology appropriate for tracking and monitoring
species such as herring or sandlance, or is it designed primarily for
larger mammals? Which species would we monitor, and where would the
arrays be placed in PWS? Is the POST concept adaptable to PWS and at
frequencies for organisms of concern? Are there other similar
technologies that should also be referenced in an RFP? Some of the
scientific questions relevant to OSRI revolve around distribution of
organisms that would be impacted by oil in the water, and especially by
oil spill response methods, such as use of dispersants. Available
technologies are active (battery bearing) and passive (no batteries).
What are the advantages of active and passive devices for tracking and
monitoring marine organisms? Are there questions that can be answered by
active technologies that can't be addressed by passive technologies, and
conversely? Some of the passive methods have been around a long time, so
how have they been used in PWS and what were the results? Have active
technologies been used in PWS and what were the results? Are there
important groups of species that can't be addressed by active or passive
technologies due to size, behavior, federal laws, etc.? To what species
would each class (passive, active) of technologies be applicable, and
are these species of interest to OSRI?
Acoustic receivers/transmitters, data loggers and linking networks have
been developed for fishes, birds, and marine mammals. The vendors
generally rave about applications and successes, but there are likely
sufficient "unknowns" about use in the real world to warrant a white
paper that describes not only what is available (off the shelf and
other), but who is using the methodologies, and what questions are being
answered. Are these technologies really working for researchers? How and
where?
Expectations:
The contractor would communicate with POST and other technology groups
operating in the Pacific or elsewhere. The white paper should summarize
findings from those communications and other research on the topic
(i.e., through Internet searches). The contractor would communicate with
some individuals in PWS to identify the most important issues of PWS
(herring, marine mammals, etc.). The white paper should also address
whether, and if so how, this technology can interface with the Alaska
Ocean Observing System (AOOS) to implement their biological monitoring
goal. The research portion of this project is anticipated to require 5-6
days of full time work and the writing portion an additional 2-4 days.
Application Process:
Interested contractors should submit a statement of interest and
proposed work, including a budget, and attach a resume or C.V. Submit
these materials by Tuesday, 1 August 2006 to Dr. Katey Walter, OSRI
Research Program Manager (kwalter [at] pwssc.gen.ak.us).
OSRI expects to award a contract for this work by Friday, 4 August 2006.