NASA's Coastal and Marine Systems (CMS) project, operating for over ten years, focuses on blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds, which play a vital role in carbon sequestration and climate mitigation. This initiative seeks to assess the effectiveness of CMS in supporting blue carbon conservation and its integration into the blue economy, emphasizing synergies with sustainable development goals.
The assessment consists of three main activities:
1. Review the current state of blue carbon science and financing, highlighting co-benefit opportunities and identifying knowledge gaps.
2. Evaluate the CMS program's contributions to monitoring carbon stocks and its technological applications in data generation for management and policy decisions.
3. Identify priorities for enhancing CMS's readiness for the blue economy, focusing on stakeholder engagement, knowledge gap filling, and possible funding strategies.
Data collection will involve interviews with project principal investigators and end users, culminating in a comprehensive report targeted for senior management review. The final report will be delivered in Q4 2025 after preliminary interviews at the NASA CMS meeting in September 2025. This project underscores NASA's commitment to advancing blue carbon initiatives and fostering sustainable economic practices.
NASA/NSSC requires an assessment of NASA’s blue carbon products in relation to blue economy finance and intends to issue a sole source contract to SILVESTRUM CLIMATE ASSOCIATES LLC, identified as the only supplier capable of fulfilling this need. The procurement will be executed at NASA Headquarters, utilizing the regulations outlined in FAR Part 12 and FAR Part 13. Organizations interested in this opportunity may submit their qualifications to the designated contact by April 4, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. CST. This submission will help determine if the procurement will proceed competitively. The government retains discretion to choose not to compete based on the responses received. Communications must be written, as oral communications are not permitted. The NAICS Code for this procurement is 541690, and it falls under the governance of NASA Clause 1852.215-84 concerning Ombudsman assistance. The importance of this procurement lies in enhancing the understanding and financial evaluation of blue carbon products, aligning with broader environmental and economic objectives.