Bid# 26-27 Lease Area Oyster Reef Plot Augmentation #2

Location:	Mississippi
Posted:	Mar 2, 2026
Due:	Mar 19, 2026
Agency:	State Government of Mississippi
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	X - Lease or Rental of Facilities
Solicitation No:	9280-26-R-IFBD-00032
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Bid # 26‐27

RFX 3160007916

University of Southern Mississippi

Lease Area Oyster Reef Plot Augmentation #2

1.0 Introduction

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Gulf Coast Research Laboratory is seeking to procure a

contractor to augment multiple oyster reef plots within one-acre areas (2 per lease area) within four

50-acre sites, using surficial enhancements of #57 limestone gravel to the designated plots at a time

TBD in the spring-summer of 2026.

2.0 Specifications

2.1 GENERAL PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

Adherence to timing and precision of gravel applications within delineated plots is critical to the

success of this project. Prescribed quantities of material must be spread evenly across created reef

plots as defined by geolocated maps of the plots to be provided by the project manager. Areas

enclosing plots are defined by GPS coordinates within the NAD83 CRS as specified in Tables 1 and 2

below. The contractor must immediately notify USM project manager of any anticipated deviation

from the specified times and placements of gravel application, and remediation pursued. A quality

control procedure involving side-scan sonar imagery before and after the application period will

ensure specifications were followed.

Vendor should quote the lead time required for obtaining the materials and conducting the work for

the quoted contract. All required materials for the augmentation should be acquired as a one-time

purchase. Required permits have been obtained by the contractee. Sealed bid responses to be

received by 2:00 PM CDT on Thursday, March 19, 2026 (see specifications below).

2.2

REQUIREMENTS

The following specifications are to ensure that the contractor performs the tasks necessary to

satisfy the project’s objectives. Any deviation from the following specifications must be

explained, justified and rectified.

Bidder shall meet or exceed the following specifications:

• four 50-acre site areas

o see Figs 1-3, below

o two in western MS Sound and two in Eastern MS Sound

o Geographic coordinates of site areas specified in table 1 below

1

o Eight one-acre bounded pre-existing plots areas per site

▪ six of which contain established base reefs

• Base reefs for 24 reef plots were created within one-acre bounded areas

o Within six one-acre areas at each of the four sites

o Base reefs were completed in two phases in spring and summer

of 2024

▪ One site was completed within each region of MS Sound

during each phase

▪ Each base reef plot was constructed using 800 cubic yards

of number 4 limestone gravel

• To fulfill this bid, surficial enhancement of the designated reef plots will

be conducted at a time TBD in spring-summer of 2026 (TBD - April-July

2026)

• The first augmentation of two plots per area occurred in late May 2025

o The same two plots (plots 5 & 7) within each of the four sites were

augmented during the May 2025 event

• The time window for the second augmentation event will be arranged

between contractee and contractor

o Surficial enhancement of 2 of the 6 base reef plots

▪ For the same two plots (plots 3 & 4) within each of the

four sites (See Figs. 4-5 below)

▪ even dispersion of surficial enhancement material across

the reef-plot areas

▪ 100 cubic yards of No. 57 limestone per reef plot

▪ The four other base reef plots at each site did not receive

any enhancement during this event

▪ the two control plots lacking base reefs at each site did

not receive any enhancement

o GPS coordinates for individual plot-area boundaries are predetermined

▪ Geo-referenced side-scan profiles of base reef plots within base-reef plot areas

are available from the contractee (e.g., Fig. 5b).

▪ See Tables 1 and 2 below for GPS coordinates for lease areas and reef-plot area

boundaries in NAD83 CRS

• Or alternatively, in NAD 83 Mississippi State Plane feet

▪ See Figures 4 and 5 below for layout configurations of reef plot areas and reef

plots within 50-acre sites:

• Plot areas (one-acre) arranged near perimeter of 50-acre site areas

o Areas of bare substrate interdigitate with reef- plots

o Independence of treatments is thereby maintained

• Reef Material for augmentation

o #57 LIMESTONE GRAVEL – particle size = 0.5" – 1.0"

▪ Estimated 1 cu yd = 1.2 ton

2

▪ Total particle size range of 3/16 – 1.5”

▪ Gravel largely consists of 3/8 - 1.0” range

o To be applied to two reef plots per one-acre plot area (see Tables 1 and 2, and Figs. 4

and 5 below)

o applications of limestone gravel enhancement to be dispersed evenly across existing

base reef profiles

▪ i.e., previous base plots of 800 cubic yards of #4 limestone

• deposited within predefined boundaries of 1-acre plot areas

▪ even application of surficial enhancement treatments on existing base reef plots

• 100 cubic yards of #57 limestone gravel per each reef plot

• Plot specifications

o Six plot areas per site have existing base reefs

o Two of the six reef plots at each site will receive the surficial enhancement

▪ i.e., two reef plots per site area will receive surficial enhancements

▪ four site areas × two reef plots = 8 total reef plots to be enhanced for this bid

o Labor and deployment costs:

▪ Surficial enhancement to be deployed in late spring to mid-summer of 2026 (t2)

(see Fig 5)

• Reef plots 3 and 4 to be enhanced at each of the four sites

▪ This application constitutes the second surficial enhancement treatment at

designated time, t2

• Performance criteria:

o Prescribed quantities of material should be spread evenly across created base reef

plots situated within plot area boundaries

▪ Base reef profiles are roughly doughnut shaped within plot area boundaries

(Fig. 5b)

• Barges were tethered to reef plot center and moved around via small

tug while distributing base-reef rocks

• Base reefs provide the targets for this augmentation

o Timing of gravel applications should occur within a designated bi-weekly period

o Spatial accuracy of applications to within 10 m of designated reef plot edges

o Contractor must immediately notify USM project manager of any anticipated deviation

from the specified times and placements of gravel application

o A quality control procedure will ensue before and following each application period to

ensure applications adhered to specifications

o Non-compliance with contract specifications subject to nonpayment

3

Table 1. GPS coordinates (CRS = NAD83), for site boundary corners. Subtidal depth ranges for sites:

UEBN = 3-6 feet; UEBS = 5-8 feet; UEPW = 5-6 feet; UEPE = 4-5 feet.

Zone

Bay St. Louis

W Pascagoula R

Lease

Northern

Southern

Eastern

Western

Site

UEBN

UEBS

UEPE

UEPW

Corner

NE

SE

SW

NW

NE

SE

SW

NW

NE

SE

SW

NW

NE

SE

SW

NW

Latitude

30.3050

30.3009

30.3050

30.2626

30.2576

30.2626

30.3331

30.3289

30.3304

30.3348

30.3383

30.3343

30.3383

Longitude

-89.2986

-89.3034

-89.3041

-89.3089

-88.6470

-88.6490

-88.6533

-88.6512

-88.6615

-88.6664

4

Table 2. Specification of coordinates for plot area corner along with their Plot ID numbers and positions within designated site areas

(see figures below) – Reef plots are numbered from left to right starting from upper left corner of each site area and going across and

down – corners of plot areas: UL – upper left; UR upper right; LL – lower left; LR - lower right. NA – not applicable; Base – base reef 800

cubic yards per acre applied in spring and summer of 2024 (~6” base depth) (i.e., at time 0); Second enhancement = 100 cubic yards/acre

application of # 57 limestone gravel (i.e., at time 2) (see diagram below). GPS coordinate reference system (crs) = NAD83. For this bid,

plot numbers 3 and 4 (in bold) are designated for surficial enhancement within each of the four sites.

Zone

Bay St SL

Pascagoula

Relative

Postn

Northern

Southern

Western

Site

Label

UEBN

UEBS

UEPW

Plot

ID

BN-1

BN-2

BN-3

BN-4

BN-5

BN-6

BN-7

BN-8

BS-1

BS-2

BS-3

BS-4

BS-5

BS-6

BS-7

BS-8

PW-1

PW-2

PW-3

PW-4

PW-5

PW-6

Enhancement

Spring

(2025)

NA

YES

NA

YES

NA

YES

NA

YES

NA

YES

NA

UL

Lat

30.304381

30.303238

30.302095

30.261533

30.260390

30.259247

30.337731

30.336588

30.335445

UL

Long

-89.302653

-89.301333

-89.300013

-89.302653

-89.300013

-89.302653

-89.301333

-89.300013

-89.308153

-89.306833

-89.305513

-89.308153

-89.305513

-89.308153

-89.306833

-89.305513

-88.665604

-88.664284

-88.662964

-88.665604

-88.662964

-88.665604

UR

Lat

30.304381

30.303238

30.302095

30.261533

30.260390

30.259247

30.337731

30.336588

30.335445

UR

Long

-89.301993

-89.300673

-89.299353

-89.301993

-89.299353

-89.301993

-89.300673

-89.299353

-89.307493

-89.306173

-89.304853

-89.307493

-89.304853

-89.307493

-89.306173

-89.304853

-88.664944

-88.663624

-88.662304

-88.664944

-88.662304

-88.664944

LL

Lat

30.303810

30.302667

30.301524

30.260961

30.259818

30.258675

30.337159

30.336016

30.334873

LL

Long

-89.302653

-89.301333

-89.300013

-89.302653

-89.300013

-89.302653

-89.301333

-89.300013

-89.308153

-89.306833

-89.305513

-89.308153

-89.305513

-89.308153

-89.306833

-89.305513

-88.665604

-88.664284

-88.662964

-88.665604

-88.662964

-88.665604

LR

Lat

30.303810

30.302667

30.301524

30.260961

30.259818

30.258675

30.337159

30.336016

30.334873

LR

Long

-89. 301993

-89.300673

-89.299353

-89.301993

-89.299353

-89.301993

-89.300673

-89.299353

-89.307493

-89.306173

-89.304853

-89.307493

-89.304853

-89.307493

-89.306173

-89.304853

-88.664944

-88.663624

-88.662304

-88.664944

-88.662304

-88.664944

Smart Number	9280-26-R-IFBD-00032	Advertised Date	03/02/2026 12:00 AM
RFx #	3160007916	Submission Date	03/19/2026 2:00 PM
RFx Status	Open	Major Procurement Category	COMMODITIES
RFx Opening Date	03/19/2026 2:00 PM	Sub Procurement Category	EQUIPMENT - NON-TECHNOLOGY
RFx Type	Invitation for Bid
Agency	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
RFx Description	Reef Augmentation # 2 for experimental oyster reefs located in the Mississippi Sound

Name	Millissa Stork	Email	millissa.stork@usm.edu
Phone	2288188001	Fax

PRODUCT CATEGORY	PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
59563	Rocks, Ornamental

Attachments Bid Coversheet
Attachments Bid Packet
Attachments legal ad
Attachments Specifications

Bid# 26-27 Lease Area Oyster Reef Plot Augmentation #2

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