Benthic video/photographic data collection, analysis and mapping
in St Anns Bank Area of Interest

Trade Agreement: NONE
Tendering Procedures: 
Attachment: None
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Exclusive Rights
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address: 
McGregor GeoScience Limited
177 Bluewater Road
Bedford Nova Scotia
Canada
B4B1H1
Nature of Requirements: 
Benthic video/photographic data collection, analysis and mapping
in St Anns Bank Area of Interest for Fisheries and Oceans
Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

The St Anns Bank Area of Interest (AOI), located off the eastern
coast of Cape Breton Island, has been identified as a candidate
area for Marine Protected Area (MPA) designation under the
Oceans Act. The AOI covers approximately 5100 km2 and
encompasses part of St Anns Bank, Scatarie Bank and the
Laurentian Slope and Channel (Figure 1). The area includes
important habitat for a variety of commercial, non-commercial
and at-risk marine species, and is part of an important
migration route for many marine mammals and fish.
As part of on-going efforts to describe the biophysical and
ecological characteristics of the St Anns Bank AOI, the Oceans
and Coastal Management Division is working towards the creation
of a benthic habitat map for the entire area. In support of this
goal, multibeam echo sounder (MBES) data has been gathered for
certain priority areas, and surveys are planned to collect these
data for other areas.  A contract was issued to McGregor
Geosciences to assemble available MBES data and describe the
survey plan and methodology for benthic habitat mapping in St
Anns Bank.  While some photographic and video sampling has been
completed, more work is needed to obtain additional photo,
video, and seabed samples for ground-truthing the MBES data
analysis and creation of a final benthoscape map.    This
project will support the benthic characterization of the St Anns
Bank through the collection of ground-truthing data
(photographs, videos, and benthic grab samples) and the
production of a final benthoscape map for a portion of the site. 

The benthoscape mapping methodology was developed by Dr. Brown,
and will remain his Intellectual Property. However, Dr. Brown
has published the theory and method in the primary literature,
and is willing to host a learning session to educate DFO
scientists about the approach.  The Crown retains ownership of
the data and data products.  To our knowledge, there are no
other vendors who can offer the full complement of equipment,
in-house services and expertise required for the project.
McGregor GeoScience has exclusive access to several
fully-equipped environmental survey vessels based out of Port
Hawkesbury.  The company also offers the in-house staff
expertise and specialized equipment required for the collection
of seafloor samples and geo-referenced seabed imagery, as well
as the data processing and analyses required for the project. 
McGregor's chief Environmental Scientist, Dr. Craig Brown, is a
world authority on the application of seafloor acoustics for
mapping benthic ecosystems. Dr. Brown's recent cutting-edge
research into methods for the extraction of quantitative data
from multibeam echo-sounder system data for use in habitat
distribution modeling makes him uniquely suited to oversee the
analyses required to produce the final benthoscape map for the
study site. 

The Financial Limitation of this Project is $79,000.00 plus HST
and the Project completion date is March 31,  2012.

This requirement is being sole sourced in accordance with the
Government Contract Regulations indicating that, due to the
technical requirements of this project, there is only one source
who is capable of performing this work.

This PWGSC Office provides procurement services to the public in
English.

Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

You are hereby notified that the government intends to negotiate
with one firm only as identified above. Should you have any
questions concerning this requirement, contact the contracting
officer identified above.

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calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it
intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a
pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or
before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets
the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contracting authority
may then proceed with the award.  However, should a Statement of
Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the
ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full
tendering process.

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available
to provide the services/goods described herein, may submit a
statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person
identified in this Notice on or before the closing date of this
Notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate
how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

The PWGSC file number, the contracting officer's name and the
closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the
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transmission, on the covering page.

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any
procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.