A Prudent Mariner’s Guide to Right Whale Protection CD-ROM

NOAA Fisheries is pleased to announce a computer-based, interactive guide and training resource for shipboard operations as they relate to avoiding ship-strike interactions with North Atlantic right whales.

Produced by NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Coast Guard, with input from the shipping industry, non-governmental organizations, and Florida and Georgia state resource management agencies, this interactive CD program provides key educational and support information intended for shipboard operations in areas where North Atlantic right whales may be present. Focused on operations along the Atlantic Coast of North America, the program delivers crew training information about right whales, including an introduction to right whales, recommended navigational actions when operating in right whale habitat, a guide to reporting sightings of dead or injured right whales, an informative video presentation, and a short follow-up quiz. Additionally, the program includes guidelines for compliance with the Mandatory Ship Reporting Systems, including an innovative, interactive report generation program.

This CD should be used as part of a shipboard right whale protection management program, which includes training, planning, sighting collection and vessel operations.

To request a copy for review or several copies for distribution to your vessel fleet, please email Kristen.Koyama@noaa.gov.

Click Here for instructions on downloading and creating a copy of our A Prudent Mariner’s Guide to Right Whale Protection CD-ROM.

• Press Release (June 18, 2007)

Merchant Mariner Education Module

The Northeast Implementation Team (NEIT) has developed a merchant mariner education module that can be used by instructors in mariner safety, certification, or licensing courses to educate ship's captains about the potential for ship strikes of right whales. The program includes a Right Whale Ship Strike Curriculum Package with an Instructor’s Manual and two PowerPoint education modules intended to provide Federal, state, and international maritime academic and training institutions and fleet managers with implementation strategies, PowerPoint presentations, discussion notes, resource materials, and student assessments on the prevention of ship strikes of North Atlantic right whales.

The modules’ lessons are suggested to be incorporated in the following courses: Voyage Planning, Bridge Management, Terrestrial and Coastal Navigation, Social Responsibility, Safety and Environmental Training, and Certification, Re-certification, and License Testing for mariners operating in coastal waters of the United States and Canada. The modules may also be used in sea semester training and fleet training scenarios. The education of all mariners is a critical part of NOAA Fisheries’ goal to minimize ship strikes of right whales.

• Course Materials and Updates [Coming Soon]
• Implementation report (March 2007)