NOSB 2004 Competition Results

Overall Standings (research project plus knowledge quiz)

	Team Midas from Juneau-Douglas High School. Left to right: Ephraim Froehlich, Alida Bus, Robyn Grayson, Ben Robinson (captain), and Bryan Diebels. Photo by Clay Good.

First Place Overall
Students were awarded one-year tuition waivers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, to compete in the national finals

Juneau-Douglas High School, Team Midas
      Ben Robinson
      Alida Bus
      Bryan Diebels
      Ephraim Froehlich
      Robyn Grayson
      Coach: Clay Good

Second Place Overall

Davis-Ramoth Memorial School, Selawik, Team Amaguq
      Megan Jones
      Cynthia McCoy
      Chris Proch
      Colin Davis
      Nancy Myers
      Coach: Mark Proch

Third Place Overall

Skyview High School, Team J'MARS
      Rachel Beatty
      Andy Boesch
      Stevie Pyfer
      Jaime Miller
      Coach: Mark Larson

Research Project (paper and oral presentation)
First-place project coach received $1,000 classroom award from Alaska Sea Grant

Research Project
• First Place: Davis-Ramoth Memorial School, Selawik, Team Amaguq
• Second Place: Juneau-Douglas High School, Team Midas
• Third Place: Cordova High School, Team Pirates of the Sound

Paper
• First Place: Davis-Ramoth Memorial School, Selawik, Team Amaguq
• Second Place (tie): Juneau-Douglas High School, Team Midas
• Second Place (tie): Valley Pathways, Team Apex Predators

Oral Presentation
• First Place: Juneau-Douglas High School, Team Midas
• Second Place: Davis-Ramoth Memorial School, Selawik, Team Amaguq
• Third Place: Cordova High School, Team Pirates of the Sound

Knowledge Quiz
First-place team was awarded one-year tuition waivers from the University of Alaska Southeast

• First Place: Juneau-Douglas High School, Team Midas
• Second Place: Skyview High School, Team J'MARS
• Third Place: Soldotna High School, Team Tributyltin

Mayor of Seward Perpetual Trophy
(to the team with the most points scored in a single round)

Juneau-Douglas High School Team Midas with 85 points

Sportsmanship award

Team Apex Predators (seeUonline/Valley Pathways)

Most Valuable Players
Each recipient was awarded $50

Team Tununak Coasters (Tununak): Miriam Ohman
Team Bartlett High School (Anchorage): Chris Pineiro
Team Sushi (Bethel Alternative Boarding School): Leanna Isaac
Team Pirates of the Sound (Cordova): McKenzie Herring
Team Amaguq (Selawik): Chris Proch
Team Mola Mola (Homer): Kirsten Baltz
Team Midas (Juneau-Douglas): Robyn Grayson
Team Steller (Juneau-Douglas): Kerriann Powers
Team Coelacanth (Ninilchik): Katie Rea
Team Apex Predators (seeUonline/Valley Pathways): Drew Allison
Team Nuclear Warheads (Seward): Phelan Miller
Team J'MARS (Skyview): Stevie Pyfer
Team POPCAN (Soldotna): Sierra Williams
Team Tributyltin (Soldotna): Tina Powers

Library Resources Award
$1500 from the Ocean Alaska Science and Learning Center to enhance or upgrade library resources available to a team from a rural school

Paul T. Albert Memorial School, Tununak

Alaska NOSB Technology Award
NOSB beach towel to the only coach to successfully register her/his team online at the National Ocean Sciences Bowl site

Kate Alexander, Cordova High School

2004 NOSB Ocean Connection Art Show
Best of show was a three-way tie; each teacher received $100 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 or short-answer 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 a 6-minute buzzer half, two timed critical-thinking written questions, a 2-minute break, and another 6-minute buzzer half. Each match has a maximum of 13 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 2004 research project, the students determined the most important contaminant problem facing their coastal community (or a coastal community that the team chose) and the marine or lacustrine ecosystem supporting that community. 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.