F -- Seagrass Restoration in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, Marine Sanctuaries Division requires restoration of seagrass beds in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). The requirement includes use of common techniques for restoration of seagrass, including sediment fill, bird stakes, and seagrass transplants. This is a pre-solicitation notice. A solicitation will be posted to the Governmentwide point of entry. Multiple Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity contracts are anticipated to be awarded based on full and open competition for the issuance of firm fixed price Task Orders over a five year period that will include a base year and four one-year option periods. Seagrass beds are an important component of the Florida coral reef tract, the third largest barrier reef system in the world. The area was designated a National Marine Sanctuary in 1990 under the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act. The co-trustees for the FKNMS are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the State of Florida. The cumulative impact of boat groundings has led to a pervasive scarring of seagrass beds throughout the FKNMS. Seagrass injuries in the FKNMS typically include a combination of propeller scars, blowholes, and berms. Propeller scars are formed by the dredging effect of the turning propeller or propellers as the boat travels over a shallow bank. Blowholes are formed from the concentrated force of propeller wash, either from the grounded vessel attempting to power off the bank or the propeller wash of the salvage vessel pulling the grounded vessel off the bank. Berms are produced from the sand, coral fragments, and other substrate that typically accumulate around the perimeter of blowholes, thereby burying healthy seagrass. The co-trustees have the authority, under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) and state law, to implement damage assessment and restoration projects for natural resource injuries.