What is NOSB?

What

Each winter, Alaska holds a regional ocean sciences competition as part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. For the past two years, the Alaska regional NOSB has consisted of only the jeopardy-style quiz match. Returning in 2009 is the research component of the competition, in which teams of four or five students prepare a 20-page research paper that is submitted in December, and present a 20-minute oral presentation at the Tsunami Bowl in February. The research project counts 50 percent toward the final score and complements the quiz competition, where teams of four students, plus an optional alternate, compete against each other in a timed quiz match, which contributes the other 50 percent of the final score. The winning team of the 2009 Tsunami Bowl will have all expenses paid to travel to Washington, DC, April 25–27, 2009, to compete against other regional teams from across the United States.

Read more about the NOSB competition and its impact on schools across the United States in an article written for Sea Technology.

Why

The goal of this competition is to recognize and reward excellence among students interested in ocean studies. The bowl also aims to encourage high school students, their teachers and parents to increase their knowledge of the oceans and to broaden awareness of the critical value of ocean research.

How

In the quiz competition, students must be the first to “buzz-in” for the opportunity to answer a multiple-choice or short-answer question. The game is organized as a series of matches in a round-robin/double-elimination format. In each match, two teams compete against each other and the clock, trying to be the fastest to answer the toss-up questions. Team challenge questions, more complex questions which require critical analysis and written answers, test students’ critical thinking skills.

For the research project, students must prepare an in-depth research document on a specific ocean-related question or problem and must give an oral presentation on their work. Each component is judged by a panel of scientists and is worth 25 percent of the total score. The quiz competition makes up the other 50 percent of the total score.

Who

The NOSB is sponsored by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (formerly CORE) in partnership with the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA). The Alaska regional competition is sponsored by the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, with additional support from the Alaska Sea Grant College Program. Phyllis Shoemaker is the coordinator of the Alaska competition.

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership, along with its 53 member institutions and in partnership with the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA), conducts a national competition for high schools on topics related to the study of the oceans: the National Ocean Sciences Bowl.

The NOSB was first conducted in the winter and spring of 1998 in honor of the International Year of the Ocean. The grand prize was a trip to EXPO '98 in Lisbon, Portugal aboard the USNS Pathfinder. The 1999 national winning team received full scholarships to participate in the Secretary of the Navy's Engineering and Science Residential Program.

Specific objectives of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl are to:

Regional and Final Competitions

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership and NMEA, with the assistance of the Technical Advisory Panel, prepare the competition rules and regulations and the specific questions used in both the regional and national competitions.

At the finals, competitions can consist of up to 20 matches (or rounds), including tiebreakers as necessary. The competition incorporates a round-robin form for the early rounds and a double-elimination feature for final rounds.

The winning teams from each of the 25 regional competitions are offered transportation to and room and board at the national finals.

New in 2003 was the addition of team challenge questions, changes in scoring, expanded resources for participants, and the National Ocean Scholar Program.

National Internships and Scholarships

In an effort to recognize individual achievement as part of the NOSB program, the Consortium for Ocean Leadership has introduced the National Ocean Scholar Program for NOSB students who are interested in pursuing an ocean or marine-related topic in college. Scholars will receive $3,000 a year for the first two years of undergraduate studies, totaling $6,000. Details on the scholarship program, including criteria for the program, the application process, and an application form in PDF, are available on the national NOSB Web site.

The Coastal and Ocean Science Training Internship Program (COAST) provides an opportunity for NOSB's participating students to receive hands-on marine science education. COAST is offered through a partnership between NOSB and the Student Conservation Association. Details can be found on the national NOSB Web site.

National Coordinators and Sponsors

The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is conducted as a partnership between the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, NMEA and NSTA with financial sponsorship from the Office of Naval Research, Oceanographer of the Navy, National Aeronautics & Space Administration, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, and other agencies and private sources.

Regional Coordinators and Volunteers

Regional sites are selected from among the Consortium for Ocean Leadership institutional membership for the regional bowl competitions. Each site has a staff member as the primary coordinator for the region. The regional coordinators are trained by Consortium for Ocean Leadership staff on how to organize and administer the regional competition. Each regional bowl and the finals is staffed and run by volunteers (e.g., faculty members, students, administrative staff, etc.).

With the ultimate success of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl requiring the concerted efforts of many hundreds of volunteer staff at the regional competitions and the finals, training and preparing these volunteers for their key roles is the responsibility of the Regional and National Consortium for Ocean Leadership/NMEA project staff. These volunteers serve as moderators, scientific judges, rules judges, timers and scorekeepers. Each regional bowl coordinator is responsible for raising local funds to cover such costs as program printing and reproduction, meals and snacks for the program competitors, and trophies or similar awards for the winning regional teams.

Participating High Schools

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership institutions hosting a regional competition define the geographic area included in their competition, and invite schools located in those regions. Schools participating in the regional bowl pay their own expenses to the regional competition.

The Technical Advisory Panel

The Technical Advisory Panel is composed of approximately 15 ocean scientists, university-level educators and high school teachers to provide overall guidance and advice to the development of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. Specifically, the panel provides technical oversight on changes to the competition format and the preparation of competition questions. The panel meets twice in Washington, DC, between September and January of a given school year.

Consortium for Ocean Leadership project staff, with input from ocean scientists and educators throughout the Consortium for Ocean Leadership/NMEA community, prepare the questions for the regional and final competitions. Approximately 3000 questions are prepared for the competitions. The questions are organized for the regional and national competitions in order of increasing difficulty.

Efforts have begun to correlate NOSB content to the National Science Education Standards (NSES). This correlation was scheduled to be completed by November 2002. Check back on the NOSB Web site for more information.

Resources

A Resources Guide is used to direct interested students and their teachers to key information and materials on ocean research and related topics. The actual questions for the regional and final competitions are drawn—at least in part—from this resource material. Preparation of this guide was necessary because most high school science courses do not include ocean research per se as part of their content; students will often study weather formation, global climate issues, marine mammals and earth sciences, but not the oceans as the major engines of global climate and weather. Moreover, the general ocean sciences (physical and chemical oceanography, etc.) and specific ocean phenomena (currents, heat transfer mechanisms, etc.) are rarely studied at all.

The Resources Guide includes citations to a number of key sources of information on the oceans—textbooks, CD-ROMs, and select sites on the World Wide Web. This guide has been reviewed by the Technical Advisory Panel, and was prepared by Consortium for Ocean Leadership/NMEA staff. The Resources Guide is published both in print and on the World Wide Web, and is distributed by the regional points-of-contact to schools in their regional service region.

Prizes

Prizes for the Alaska regional competition are donated by a number of individuals and organizations. In past competitions, these have included:

Additionally, the winning team receives a free trip to compete in the finals against the other regional winners.

Want In on the Action?

November 15 is the deadline to indicate the intent to participate in each year's Alaska Regional NOSB. Contact science bowl coordinator Phyllis Shoemaker at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Seward Marine Center to find out how your high school can join in the fun, or check out our web pages for coaches and teams. The number of teams is limited, so act early for the best chance of participating in the next National Ocean Sciences Bowl.

PO Box 730, Seward, AK 99664
Phone: 907-224-4312, Fax: 907-224-3392