Request For Proposals: Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management Indicators for the Coral Reef Fisheries of the Mariana Archipelago (Proposals due: December 25, 2025)

by | Dec 11, 2025 | News and Updates, Request for Proposals

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Council), established through Congress under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MFCMA) of 1976, has the responsibility for preparing management plans for those fisheries within its jurisdiction.  The Council has authority over the management of fisheries in the US Exclusive Economic Zone waters off of the Territories of American Samoa and Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the State of Hawaii.

The Council, composed of 16 public, State, and Federal members, meets at a minimum of four times a year to conduct its business.  Funding for the Council is provided by Congress through grants administered by NOAA Fisheries. The Council headed by an Executive Director with administrative and programmatic staff based in Hawaii and US Pacific Island Territories. The Council is soliciting proposals for contractual services listed below.

CONTRACT SERVICE:  Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management Indicators for the Coral Reef Fisheries of the Mariana Archipelago.

CONTRACT PERIOD: The contract will begin on or around January 1, 2026, depending on timing of funding availability.  The contract shall be completed no later than September 30, 2026.

SCOPE OF WORK:  The Contractor will work with the fishery agencies in Guam and CNMI to provide updated information and tools to sustainably manage their coral reef fish resources.  The project will: develop a database of coral reef fish and habitat survey data for the Mariana Archipelago; status and trends of coral reef associated BMUS and ECS; and threshold analyses for fishable biomass and ecological indicators.  The analysis should include a finite set of ecosystem indicators that could be used in making fishery ecosystem management decisions and accountability measures that could trigger management interventions.

The contractor shall:

  • Collate and use existing fisheries independent coral reef survey data to examine the status and trends of coral reef associated bottomfish management unit species and ecosystem component species in the Mariana Archipelago;
  • Investigate associations between levels of target fishable biomass and a suite of metrics of coral reef ecosystem state at island scales;
  • Identify thresholds for the ecological metrics relative to fishable biomass ranging from fished sites to no-take areas;
  • Develop critical community-level reference points for sustainable management of coral reef fisheries in the Mariana Archipelago;
  • Develop and provide technical assistance on fishery management decision support by training territorial scientists and managers in these methods to facilitate the continued use of the approach;
  • Provide presentations to Council advisory bodies, as appropriate;
  • Prepare a report detailing the methods, results and discussion of the analysis by the end of the project period; and
  • Work with territorial fishery agencies to understand the effectiveness of the closed areas within the study area and potential issues with enforcement or compliance.

ELIGIBILITY: The potential Contractor must:

  • Principle Investigator(s) must have a demonstrated ability to implement the project, with a background in statistical or ecological modeling and experience working with large oceanographic and/or fisheries datasets, including coding in R;
  • Have a demonstrated familiarity, knowledge, and experience working with coral reef fisheries fishing and survey data from the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Island and Guam, including local resource management agencies and associated data collection programs;
  • Be able to work independently and communicate effectively with the Council, its staff, NMFS PIFSC, and other partners as necessary; and
  • Be available to start the project in January 1, 2026 and complete the project by September 2026.
  • S. Federal agencies and their employees are not eligible for contractual agreements with the Council;
  • Proposals will be evaluated on a competitive basis. The selected proposal will be funded as a contract.

REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor will independently work in close coordination with Council staff to meet deliverable timelines.  The Contractor will communicate as needed with PIFSC, Council staff, and other partners as necessary.  The contractor will be required to submit regular progress reports, a final report, and any other deliverables to be identified in the contractual agreement. All end products, reports, and other deliverables resulting from this project must be submitted to the Council. The contractor must also formally acknowledge the Council support in all publications and presentations related to the funded project. The contractor is expected to produce a high quality analysis that is appropriate for submission to a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

HOW TO APPLY: Proposal submissions should include the following materials:

  • A proposal including the following items (maximum 5 pages):
    1. Name, affiliation, and contact information of the principal investigator(s)
    2. Project narrative, including the proposed analysis approach and timeline
    3. Budget (may not include overhead or indirect cost exceeding 15 percent)
    4. List of citations, if any
  • A curriculum vitae or resume for each Principal Investigator (maximum of 2 CVs per proposal; not to exceed 4 pages each).

Proposals may be submitted by e-mail (attach materials in PDF files) or regular mail to:

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council
1164 Bishop Street, Suite 1400
Honolulu, HI 96813

Email: info@wpcouncil.org

Any inquiries regarding this Request for Proposals should be directed to the contact information above or calling the Council Office at (808) 522-8220

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Proposals will be accepted until December 25, 2025, or until a contractor is engaged.

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