Maryland Oyster Restoration Monitoring

DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) NOAA FISHERIES NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office Maryland Oyster Restoration Monitoring I. Background/Overview: The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office (NCBO) provides science, service, and stewardship to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. NCBO manages programs that focus on fisheries science, oyster restoration, observations, environmental literacy, and coastal preparedness. In order to accomplish its oyster restoration goals in Chesapeake Bay tributaries, the NCBO works with partners to conduct studies that determine where new oyster reefs should be established. After the reefs are established, they are monitored to determine oyster population density, oyster biomass, presence/ absence of multiple oyster year classes, and shell volume. NCBO periodically requires additional monitoring, surveys, and studies to maximize the efficiency of large-scale oyster restoration. II. Tasks Task 1: Survey Design for fall 2026 monitoring Delivery Date: August 31, 2026 Description: Contractor will work with NOAA to determine the fall 2025 survey requirements. This may include reefs in Harris Creek, Little Choptank River, Tred Avon River, St. Mary’s River, and Manokin River, or other tributaries as specified by NOAA. Reefs may be a combination of reference reefs (not treated), sentinel reefs (monitored annually), and reefs that have received restoration treatment and need monitoring either three-years or six-years post-restoration, or other reefs, as specified by NOAA. Contractor will design a sampling regime for these reefs based on methods adapted from the 2024 oyster reef monitoring report, https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/publications/2024-maryland-oyster-reef-monitoring-report and consistent with the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Metrics report, https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/publications/oyster-restoration-success-metrics and can include a combination of patent tong samples, dive samples, and Rapid Assessment Protocol video sampling, adapted from the work described here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jlWxBO1TbtEJCxjkQHYyce0RhuvuufOn/view?usp=sharing and here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dkjtYF1CLUFeSstASmk8jLR8AqpDay36/view Any modification in methodology will be done in consultation with, and approval by, NOAA. The deliverable will be a GIS shapefile, or other agreed upon format, showing the reefs and specific sampling locations on those reefs, to be sampled in fall 2026 using patent tongs or divers. The information will be delivered via email, external data storage device, or other agreed upon format. Task 2: Field data collection for fall 2026 monitoring Delivery Date: Dec 31, 2026 Description: On reef locations determined collaboratively with NOAA, the Contractor will collect data on metrics that can include oyster population density, oyster biomass, presence/ absence of multiple oyster year classes, reef height, shell volume, and/or other metrics as specified by NOAA. Methodology can be adapted from the 2024 Oyster Reef Monitoring Report, -- 1 of 2 -- DRAFT https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/publications/2024-maryland-oyster-reef-monitoring-report and can include a combination of patent tong samples, dive samples, and Rapid Assessment Protocol video sampling, which can be adapted from the work described here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jlWxBO1TbtEJCxjkQHYyce0RhuvuufOn/view?usp=sharing and here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dkjtYF1CLUFeSstASmk8jLR8AqpDay36/view Any modification in methodology or data type collected will be done in consultation with, and approval by, NOAA. Reef locations will be primarily in Harris Creek, Tred Avon River, Little Choptank River, St Mary’s River, and Manokin River, or in other tributaries as specified by NOAA. Task 3: Data Set Delivery Delivery date: Feb 28, 2027 Description: Contractor will perform quality control/ quality assurance analysis of the field data collected in task 2 above, and resolve any issues. The deliverable will be sample-level raw data, in Access, Excel, GIS or other agreed upon format, delivered via email, external data storage device, or other agreed upon format. Task 4: Analysis of data relative to Oyster Metrics success criteria Delivery date: March 31, 2027 Description: Contractor will perform an analysis of the data collected in task 2, showing degree of success relative to some or all of the reef-level criteria, as agreed to with NOAA, in the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Metrics report, https://www.chesapeakebay.net/channel_files/17932/oyster_restoration_success_metrics_final.pdf Criteria analyzed can include oyster density, oyster biomass, presence of multiple year classes, shell budget, modified reef height, or other metrics as specified by NOAA. The deliverable will be reef-level analyzed data, in GIS shapefiles or Excel tables, showing the results of the analysis, and may include histograms, adapted from those in the 2024 Oyster Reef Monitoring Report, https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/publications/2024-maryland-oyster-reef-monitoring-report Task 5: Final 2026 monitoring report Delivery Date: July 31, 2027 Description: Contractor will draft a 2026 monitoring report, consult with NOAA and other partners as specified by NOAA on the draft, and deliver a final report as a Microsoft Word or Google Docs document, or similar program. The final report will include: a detailed methods section, and information describing reef-level success relative to the biological Oyster Metrics success criteria. Report can be based on the 2024 monitoring report, https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/publications/2024-maryland-oyster-reef-monitoring-report , with any format or technical changes agreed to by NOAA. Period of Performance The option year is expected to begin no more than 10 business days from the date of award until July 31, 2027. -- 2 of 2 --