DEVELOPMENT OF A MERCHANT MARINER EDUCATION CURRICULUM PACKAGE ENTITLED:

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DEVELOPMENT OF A MERCHANT MARINER EDUCATION
CURRICULUM PACKAGE ENTITLED VOYAGE PLANNING AND
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION MEASURES TO
AVOID COLLISIONS WITH THE NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT
WHALE
New England Aquarium
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FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

• DEVELOPED BY
• Bruce Russell, JSA Environmental Services, Inc.
• William T. McWeeny, Green Cove Consulting
• Amy Knowlton, New England Aquarium
• Pat Gerrior, in her role as NMFS administrator
  and consultant, provided consistent and correct
  regulatory information to the Curriculum effort.
• GIS Slide Chartlets prepared by
• Elizabeth Pike, New England Aquarium

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Contents of the Curriculum Package - The CD
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Contents of the Curriculum Package - The
Instructors Manual

• Section I PURPOSE AND INTRODUCTION
• Section II GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
• Section III IMPLEMENTATION DISCUSSION
• Section IV 50 MINUTE POWER POINT PRESENTATION
  WITH INSTRUCTORS NOTES
• Section V 15 MINUTE POWER POINT PRESENTATION
  WITH INSTRUCTORS NOTES
• Section VI ASSESSMENT ITEMS
• Section VII INSTRUCTION RESOURCES AND
  REFERENCES SUITABLEFOR COPYING

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PILOTING EFFORTS

• The Power Point Presentation was made to two
  classes at the Maine Maritime Academy providing
  written feedback from the instructor and 40
  students.
• An interview was conducted with three staff
  members from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
• Kathy Metcalf, from the Chamber of Shipping of
  America, Captain Larry Palmer, from the Northeast
  Pilots Association and Pat Gerrior each provided
  comprehensive edits of the entire Curriculum
  Package.
• Numerous individuals reviewed the Curriculum and
  provided verbal feedback.

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FEEDBACK AND REVISIONS

• In general, feedback about the Instructors
  Manual and Modules was very positive. Reviewers
  saw the Package as a welcome and comprehensive
  addition to the maritime education arena.
• No major revisions were suggested for the format
  or sequence of the Power Point Presentations or
  the Instructors Manual.
• Two important revisions made to the Modules were
  the addition of five slides about the biology of
  right whales and the removal of two slides with
  redundant information.
• Numerous technical and clarifying revisions were
  made to both Power Point Presentations and all
  sections of the Instructors Manual.

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SUGGESTED FUTURE EFFORTS

• Review the Modules contents on an annual basis
  and/or whenever rule changes occur to ensure that
  they are up-to-date.
• Develop an email list for all recipients of the
  physical binder or those who download the Modules
  off the website so that they can be notified as
  soon as a Module update has been made. These
  people can also serve as a survey group for
  evaluation efforts.
• Initiate contact with U.S. and International
  Training schools to make them aware of the
  Modules. A list of institutions has been provided.

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SUGGESTED FUTURE EFFORTS

• Provide the printed Instructors Manual and CD
  to a specific instructor at each of the
  identified schools.
• Develop a plan for staff development at each of
  the identified schools to ensure that instructors
  receive the necessary support for implementing
  the Curriculum and clearly understand the
  contents of the Modules.
• Place articles and advertisements in Maritime
  trade magazines on an annual basis that describes
  current educational efforts and updates made to
  the Curriculum.

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SUGGESTED FUTURE EFFORTS

• Provide information to mariners on a regular
  basis about the status of the right whale
  population, recent births, details about recent
  mortalities, especially those related to
  shipstrikes, and any other related information
  about right whales (and other whales) and
  shipstrikes. This has been done very successfully
  with the shipstrike website and could also be
  published in Maritime trade magazines.
• Identify national and international maritime
  education conferences and present the Curriculum
  Package at such conferences.

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• Ship strike avoidance text (2 pages) for
  inclusion in industry association's safe watch
  standing manuals, for example the International
  Chamber of Shipping's bridge manual (Bridge
  Procedures Guide)
• Ship strike avoidance guidance for information
  that should be included in a company's
  International Safety Management Code (Safety
  Management System) documents.Attachment 3.

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• Information on approved merchant licensing and
  certification schools.
• Points of contact for information on
  international and other schools.
• Protocols for updating the training modules as
  new regulatory requirements are promulgated.

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• An interesting comment was offered by Kathy
  Metcalfe, Chamber of Shipping of America and
  Captain Andrew McGovern, chairman of the Coast
  Guard's Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory
  Committee (MERPAC). Both suggested that the
  voyage planning module could serve as the basis
  for a "module of modules" to address not North
  Atlantic right whales but also other living
  marine resources (for example, ballast water,
  coral reefs, other marine mammals and protected
  resources, marine protected areas). Both advised
  that such a comprehensive voyage-planning module
  is needed and might be better received.

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EDUCATION CAN PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE SURVIVAL
OF RIGHT WHALES