NOSB 2003 Competition Results

Overall Standings

	Team Tempest met with Gov. Murkowski April 16 to discuss their research project and proposals. The governor provided economic and political perspective to their research and gave out letters of commendation. From left to right: Colin Conerton, Gov. Murkowski, Josh Finley, Holly Rhoden, Chris Frank, coach Clay Good, Natalie Hale. (Photo courtesy of the Governor's Office.)

First Place Overall
(Students were awarded one-year tuition waivers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a trip to La Jolla, California, to compete in the national finals.)

Juneau-Douglas High School, "Team Tempest"
      Holly Rhoden
      Colin Conerton
      Chris Frank
      Natalie Hale
      Josh Finley
      Coach: Clay Good

Team Tempest received the NOSB Sportsmanship Award at the national competition. The NOSB Web site also has a team photo.

Second Place Overall

Juneau-Douglas High School, "Team Avalanche"
      Neil Steininger
      Stefan Ashe
      Phil Morin
      Lou Taylor
      Colleen Windom
      Coach: Clay Good

Third Place Overall

Chugiak High School, "Team Mad Mad Mad Mollusks"
      Jan Tomsen
      Andrew Mew
      Caroline Schultz
      Steven Wilson
      Kelsey Alexander
      Coach: Andrew Sullivan

Research Project and Oral Presentation
(First-place presentation received $250 resource grant; project winners received cash awards; first-place project coach received $1,000 classroom award from Alaska Sea Grant)

• First Place overall: Juneau-Douglas "Tempest"
• Second Place overall: Skyview "Laridae"
• Third Place overall: Juneau-Douglas "Avalanche"

• First Place, paper: Juneau-Douglas "Tempest" for Juneau International Airport: Safety Concerns and Estuarine Habitat Values
• Second Place, paper: Juneau "Avalanche" for Connecting the Southeastern Alaska Communities of the Northern Lynn Canal
• Third Place, paper: Skyview "Laridae" for The Future of the Kenai River Estuary—An Economic Model for Survival

• First Place, oral: Chugiak "Mad Mad Mad Mollusks"
• Second Place, oral: Skyview "Laridae"
• Third Place, oral: Juneau-Douglas "Avalanche"

Knowledge Quiz
(First-place team was awarded one-year tuition waivers from the University of Alaska Southeast and choice of lockout buzzer system or $400)

• First Place: Kodiak High School, "Perspicacious Pinnipeds"
• Second Place: Chugiak High School, "Mad Mad Mad Mollusks"
• Third Place: Juneau-Douglas High School, "Avalanche"

Classroom award

to the coach of the top overall project winner—
Clay Good, Juneau-Douglas High School: $1,000 from the Alaska Sea Grant College Program

Mayor of Seward Perpetual Trophy

to the team with the most points scored in a single round—
Kodiak "Perspicacious Pinnipeds" with 90 points in Round One

Most Inspirational Team Member
(Each recipient was awarded $50)

Bethel Alternative High School—Kyle Mortenson
Chugiak High School, Eagle River—Jan Tomsen
Dimond High School, Anchorage—Alisha Kiehn
Homer High School—Joleena Baugh
Juneau-Douglas High School, Team Aquarius—Benjamin Robinson
Juneau-Douglas High School, Team Avalanche—Neil Steininger
Juneau-Douglas High School, Team Tempest—Natalie Hale
Kodiak High School—all five were voted most valuable
Kotzebue High School—Sarita Shuster
Northwest Arctic District—Georgina King
SeeUOnline/Valley Pathways, Palmer—Drew Allison
Seward High School—Isaiah Norton
Skyview High School, Soldotna—Jaime Miller
Soldotna High School—Kaitlin Vadla

  2003 NOSB Ocean Connection Art Show
(Best of show was awarded $300 classroom award from Alaska Sea Grant)

How the NOSB Competition Works

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl consists of a round-robin/double-elimination format for teams of high school students. Teams consist of four students plus one alternate and a coach. The format involves a timed competition (defined as the use of "lock-out"-type buzzer systems and clocks) between two teams, using multiple-choice or short-answer questions within the broad category of the oceans. Questions are drawn from the scientific and technical disciplines used in studying the oceans (physics, chemistry, geology, atmospheric science, biology, etc.) as well as from topics on the contributions of the oceans to national and international economics, history and culture.

Each match consists of a series of these multiple-choice toss-up questions. A team that correctly responds to a toss-up question is given a bonus multiple-choice or short-answer question. The match consists of two 8-minute halves with a 2-minute break. Each match has a maximum of 25 toss-up questions and an equal number of bonus questions.

In Alaska, coordinators have added a second component to the ocean sciences bowl: an ocean science research project, which counts for 50 percent of the total score. Students must develop a research document on a specific ocean-related question or problem. For the NOSB 2003 research project, the students evaluated the critical habitat of an Alaskan wildlife species under pressure. Each team is required to write an in-depth research paper, and the students must also give an oral presentation on their project. The written and oral presentations each count for half of the 50 percent total.

Although it does not count toward winning points, the Alaska regional competition includes a juried art show in which students are invited to submit artwork in two-dimensional, three-dimensional and mixed media. Artwork must be original and must have an ocean theme.