Active Bid Opportunities
Bid Information
22CRDFBGSCHO-001S
RFQ - Bomb Radiocarbon Analysis on Shovelnose Sturgeon
Request for Quotes
Description
Contractor will provide 30 radiocarbon (14C) measurements using gas-AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) on carbonate microsamples extracted from otoliths of shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), including an analysis of age estimation and validation resulting in preparation of a report for potential publication. Otoliths will originate from an existing series of recently collected specimens (n = 96) and must represent the widest range of age classes based on ages obtained from otolith thin sections. The 30 selected individuals from the existing 96 specimens must use one otolith for age reading (deemed most confident in age estimation and the developed age reading protocol) with the sister otolith used for 14C analysis. The extracted microsamples will represent the earliest growth and must be analyzed for 14C with reasonable precision using state-of-the-art gas-AMS technology — it has been determined the microsample masses from earliest growth will be on the order of ~0.2–0.5 mg of CaCO3. The contractor should report radiocarbon measurements as: 1) fraction modern (F14C) corrected for fractionation online; and 2) age-corrected relative to the appropriate radiocarbon standard (?14C). Instrument background levels should be subtracted based on 14C-free standards and final values should include measures of uncertainty or error. All reported values must be unambiguous and properly annotated relative to Stuiver and Polach (1977). Measurements of 14C from the otolith microsamples must be compared to regional bomb 14C records with a determination of age estimate validity, tested age reading protocols, and a maximum estimated age for the shovelnose sturgeon. These details must be composed to a final report that is in a format that might be submitted for publication in a peer reviewed journal, depending on the level of success with the analyses.
Contractor personnel must be well versed in the application of otolith sectioning, development of age reading protocols, and the use of gas-AMS to measure 14C from otolith carbonates. AMS instrumentation must be capable of handling carbonate sample masses in the range of ~0.2–0.5 mg for the entire sample set without special handling fees. AMS precision for this sample mass range should typically be less than 10‰ (?14C). The AMS Facility utilized by the Contractor for the analysis of the microsamples specified must be a 14C-tracer-level-free facility. Contractor facility should be dedicated to radiocarbon dating with demonstrated experience measuring post-bomb 14C levels in freshwater and marine carbonates.
For bid package documentation, including cost proposal, please contact George Scholten at 515-371-6915 or george.scholten@dnr.iowa.gov.
RFQ written questions, requests for clarification, and suggested changes from Respondents are due: January 5, 2022
DNR’s written response to RFQ questions, requests for clarifications, and suggested changes are due: January 7, 2022
BID CLOSING DATE AND TIME: 1/12/2022 AT 12:00 PM CST
Agency Information
542
Natural Resources, Dept Of
502 E. 9th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
Contact Information
Valid Dates
12/30/2021 1:40:00 PM
1/12/2022 12:00:00 PM
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