The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MA DMF) is seeking a contractor to assist MA DMF in developing an integrated species distribution model to predict leatherback sea turtle distribution over the Northeast US Shelf. The model will combine leatherback data from multiple sources to predict leatherback presence and abundance using observed leatherback sightings as a function of environmental covariates and modeled prey layers. Predicting where and when leatherbacks occur in Massachusetts state waters, adjacent federal waters and the Northeast US Shelf is essential for the development of target minimization and mitigation measures to reduce anthropogenic impacts on the population. Federal funding will provide support for a contractor to collate leatherback sea turtle data, lead the development of the integrated species distribution model, develop a jellyfish prey layer for the model, extract environmental data for the model, monitor project performance, and assist in manuscript preparation. • The contractor will be responsible for the following: o Collate all relevant sea turtle, prey, and environmental datasets. o Develop an integrated species distribution model for leatherback sea turtle presence on the US Northeast Shelf. o Create a prey as a proxy model for dynamic jellyfish concentrations. o Explore the relationship between leatherback distribution and environmental variables. o Predict leatherback habitat use based on climate change models. o Lead the preparation of reports, manuscripts and other deliverables. o Submit semi-annual performance reports to MA DMF detailing program activities. • The Contractor will have at a minimum, the following expertise/skills: o Ability to access all leatherback sea turtle datasets, including satellite telemetry, opportunistic sightings, bycatch data, and systematic survey data. o Ability to develop jellyfish layer for model evaluation of prey distribution and concentration. o Ability to build an integrated species distribution model to investigate the relationship between sea turtle distribution and environmental parameters. o Ability to write comprehensive reports documenting all activities under this contract for the purposes of state and federal management discussions. o Ability to track expenditures and invoice monthly as work is completed.
