***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT THAT BSA ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES IS THE SOLE ANALYTICAL SERVICE THAT UTILIZES THE UTERMOHL METHOD WHEN ESTIMATING BIOMASS IN PHYTOPLANKTON SAMPLES. OTHER LABORATORIES THAT PERFORM THIS TYPE OF SERVICE MAKE SLIDES OF THE MASSES WHICH CRUSH THE PHYTOPLANKTON RENDERING THEM UNUSABLE FOR ANALYSIS PURPOSES REQUIRED BY THE CURRENT STUDY. BSA ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES HAS BEEN ANALYZING PHYTOPLANKTON SAMPLES FOR THE GLERL STUDY SINCE 2014 AND IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT DATA CONTINUITY AND CONSISTENCY ARE MAINTAINED WITHIN THE DATABASE.

***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.