"The North Atlantic Right Whale Sighting Survey (NARWSS) is a NOAA Fisheries program which locates and records the seasonal distribution of right whales off the northeastern United States. The Right Whale Sighting Advisory System (RWSAS) is designed to reduce collisions between ships and right whales by alerting mariners to the presence of the right whales via fax, email, the Internet, Broadcast Notice to Mariners (BNM), NOAA Weather Radio, and the Mandatory Ship Reporting system (MSR). These reports are obtained from a variety of sources including the NARWSS, whale watch vessels, Coast Guard, fishing vessels, commercial ships, and the general public. The results from both the NARWSS and the RWSAS programs in 2002 are summarized in the following tables and figures"--Overview.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)